One of the most influential men in fashion, Steven Kolb, talks candidly about Covid’s impact on fashion, the metaverse, and designers to look out for.
“I am fortunate that I get to do it. But I’m always happy when I can just sit on my couch with my dog and watch Netflix afterward,” says Steven Kolb of New York Fashion Week, a refreshingly honest take on the trade show-turned-spectacle from one of the most powerful men on the U.S. fashion scene.
As the CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers for America’s (the CFDA), Kolb’s job is to strengthen American fashion’s place on the global stage, and discover and support emerging designers through the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which he spearheaded and acts as a judge for. A large part of Kolb’s job also consists of advocating for the safety and well-being of everyone working in the industry, from designers to models (no pressure.)
I speak to Kolb over Zoom a few weeks before NYFW kicks off, yet he comes off neither distracted, nor in a rush to get through the interview. Despite mentioning a few “logistical challenges” with teams being out sick and designers not being quite ready, Kolb is serene and collected, perhaps thanks to the daily meditation he now has time for thanks to WFH mandates.
Although Kolb seems like part of the New York fashion scene’s furniture—he darted between fashion week shows dressed in a floral-embellished suit by designer Teddy Vonranson as this interview was being written—fashion was never his dream. Kolb came through the ranks working at various non-profits, a route he decided to take when he realized he had little interest in climbing the corporate ladder, “this idea of corporate America, big brother, working for the man, making money for this machine, didn’t really interest me, maybe partly because I didn’t see the human value of it.” After stints at the American Cancer Society and the Design Industries Fighting AIDS, he was hired by the CFDA in 2006 and appointed CEO in 2011.
Throughout his tenure at the CFDA, Kolb has helped usher in crucial industry change—from incorporating diversity and inclusion initiatives, to sexual harassment prevention measures amid the modelling industry’s #mettoo wave, and nutrition regulations when a slew of models passed away from eating disorders. Kolb’s most noteworthy initiative, however, was his role in making 18 the minimum modeling age for both the CFDA and Vogue. “When you look at models, there is an element of sexuality that is conveyed, and we are responsible for putting some perimeters that protect [them] or encourage a different way,” he explains of the incentive behind the rule. “Your body is changing too. In some ways, you are encompassing a young girl whose body hasn’t developed, and as her body changes, what kind of message are you giving her–that something wrong is happening?”
Spearheaded by Kolb, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has helped discover behemoth designers like Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler, as well as emerging names like Batcheva and Laquan Smith (who stole the show at NYFW this season). The latter were part of the 2021 finalists who Kolb is particularly excited by, “the group from 2021 really reflected the state of American fashion, both around diversity and the way they approach business. That is a particular group of young talent that I am really inspired by right now,” he gushes.
When the fashion industry came to a near standstill amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Kolb was called upon to stymie its impact. In March 2020, fashion weeks went warily ahead amid growing fear. By the following September, however, the majority of presentations were either postponed, canceled, or had gone digital. One of the means through which the CFDA threw designers a bone was by creating Runway 360, a digital platform through which they could showcase their collections. Despite speculation that exclusively digital presentations were the future, Kolb “never thought the physical show would go away.” He does, however, appreciate the newfound closeness at shows that the pandemic has paved the way for via smaller audience sizes, “for many brands, the idea of a big mega show with a big budget seems to be somewhat not of the moment. I think the intimacy is almost a return of the old days, sort of salon styles, where you would go the Plaza hotel and designer might sit in the fonts row and say ‘Mary is wearing …’ but I do think the intimacy of the smaller size audience, smaller venue, seems to reflect where we are right now.”
As the ringmaster of American fashion designers, I’m inevitably curious as to what Kolb makes of the industry’s most recent shakeup—its expansion into the metaverse and NFT market. Like the rest of us, he’s a little confused about it all, “it’s like I’m speaking a foreign language sometimes!” But overall, Kolb is optimistic about the creative opportunities Web3 could offer, “I think it’s exciting. I think it’s confusing. I think it’s unknown,” he says, before explaining that the CFDA has its own plans for metaverse domination, “at the CFDA we’ve been internally meeting and discussing ways we can bring blockchain NFTs to our members and what some of our own work might look like with a partner.”
The CFDA is also working to ensure nascent brands aren’t left behind in well, reality. “As you mentioned, Gucci and Ralph Lauren have done some really great work, but if you look again at the mid-size or smaller size brands, they might be confused, they might not have the level of executive insight to what’s possible,” he says. “That’s something we’re committed to with brands that are looking to experiment in the metaverse, through relationship building and education.”
Will the CFDA ever take on digital-only brands? “ Yes and no. I see a day where the CFDA has an initiative where we help designers be digital, whether that is purely digital in itself without the real, I don’t know, probably not. But do I see a day where we can help a designer build a presence with a digital collection? Absolutely.”
Post fashion week, Steven will ease back into his usual routine: working from home, meeting with fellow CFDA team members and chairman Tom Ford, and judging competitions like the Vogue Business Talent Writing Competition and the Tom Ford Plastic prize. Perhaps more importantly, Kolb will continue to dedicate a significant portion of his time to mentoring budding talent. “I’ll spend some time connecting with talent, whether that be students, emerging designers, CFDA members, either them seeking advice or wanting to share news with me. I spend a lot of time with talent at all levels,” he explains. Oh, and throw a few wildly glamorous events that are parr for the course for a man like Kolb, “it’s just another dinner, like your sister’s wedding!” he says of the MET Gala (sure).
Images courtesy of Batcheva and Kenneth Nicholson.
