3 things that shocked us at nybfw
Designers Skipping a Season
Better for the budget, but what about the brand? Is Fall Market on its way out?
When we found out several designers were skipping this October and waiting until April to release new collections, the finance department at TMB basically threw a party. Honestly, I felt the same. It gave us a minute to breathe.
We finally get to sit with our current collection, see what’s working, and let our stylists actually live with it. That feedback is gold when it comes time to buy again. Usually, bridal moves at lightning speed — before we even know what’s performing, we’re off to the next market.
So yes, it’s nice for the budget. But what does it mean for the brand?
To me, it says they believed in the strength of their last collection. If you designed with intuition and innovation, you probably already saw the trends coming. You built something that could live longer than one season.
It might also hint at something bigger — maybe the Fall Market itself is on its way out. If everyone launched earlier in the year, boutiques would have more time to sell, enjoy, and truly promote a solid collection.
But hey, what do I know…
2. Big Shows, But What About the Dress?
The party was great — but will the styles stand up?
Disclaimer before anyone comes for me: I love a good party. I thrive on the energy, the fashion, the chaos — it’s part of the fun of NYBFW. That said, I couldn’t help but notice this season how many people were talking about the event rather than the dresses.
I chatted with other boutiques, watched social coverage, and the general vibe was the same — big parties, but fewer gowns that made a real impression.
The best launches I’ve been part of balanced the excitement with accessibility. We need ease of shooting for press, the ability to actually see and touch the gowns, and real connection with the brand teams. Those post-show conversations — about technique, sales, and what gets brides excited — are what make the magic happen.
If you walk away from a launch wondering whether you even saw everything, something’s missing. The party can be unforgettable, but the dresses should be the reason we came.
3. Lack of Inclusivity
Couture is not just for one body.
This is a big one. Fashion has always been behind when it comes to size inclusivity, and bridal is no different. I didn’t see a size 14 model on the runway until at least my fifth market. Now, more than a decade later, I’m reminded that there is a long way to go, but at least I’m not afraid to have the conversation.
We visited a couture designer this season (who will remain nameless) with five sizes on their chart. Five. The largest had a 31-inch waist — roughly a street size 8 or 10. Let that settle in.
I get that couture is niche, but if you’re selling to a North American market, where the average woman is a 14, and your size chart ends at a 10, we have missed the point here. Also, when you are standing in front of me (or a bride for that matter) and your waist doesn’t fall on the size chart how do you confidently sell to her. How do you walk her through with confidence?
This size chart is not unusual, unfortunately.
I won’t tote that we are the pinnacle of inclusivity at TMB but it has been an active pledge and massive conversation in our buying department ever for the past 5 years. Building inclusivity is expensive, time consuming and definitely not a science but we now tote sizes 4-30 in our sample selection. It’s not a badge of honor it’s the feeling of being able to help a bride that has been extremely discouraged in her shopping journey cause she has only been able to hold dresses in front of her body. It’s honoring everyones shopping experience, and while it’s an imperfect system there are several designers pushing to include more bodies in their brand, more sizes on their chart and just more onus to a system that has excluded women on either end of the size spectrum since the beginning of time.
You don’t have to span 00-32 as a designer but you certainly have to do better than 5…
XO Jess & the Modern Bride team