At the end of January, just two weeks shy of the start of New York Fashion Week's Fall 2020 season, blogger Bryanboy asked if somebody could look into "why NYFW [has] pretty much died?"
Erin Hawker, communications expert and founder of Agentry PR, notes that a brand can get 50 to 100 press hits in one single day globally after a runway show , as well as millions of impressions on earned social media. Hawker agrees that "presentations are highly effective and cost a lot less money," and says she would recommend them to emerging designers that can't afford a runway show. "You'll still get a lot of press coverage and it's really convenient for attendees; editors can pop in for five or 10 minutes. Sometimes they don't want to sit through an hour of the pomp and circumstance for a designer that isn't well-known.
Aside from a presentation, something like an art installation — think how Kenzo showed a short film starring Milla Jovovich for Fall 2018 — can be a strong, less cost-intensive alternative to a runway show, says Hawker. More intimate events, like seated dinners, meanwhile, only work for a "high-power, super press darling." Plus, choreographing a way to showcase the collection could be very expensive, and you're basically paying for two things: a presentation and a sit-down meal.
Panichgul reflects on the beginning stages of his career, pre-digital media and Instagram, when success rested on the recognition and approval of Anna Wintour and her peers. His debut appearance at fashion week in 2004 was a presentation — he says he was "one of the first people to usher in that tableau format," and that it "got the attention of Vogue right away.