Escada to start a new chapter with NY runway show in September

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jul 10, 2018

Escada is striking out in a new direction with plans to host a runway show at New York Fashion Week this September, the first such event organised by the brand in the Big Apple. The Munich-based women's ready-to-wear label founded by Margaretha Ley will be celebrating its 40th anniversary but also signalling the start of a new chapter with the debut show of creative director Niall Sloan. 

The designer joined the brand in August 2017, succeeding Daniel Wingate who had occupied the position since 2012. Prior to this, Niall Sloan worked at British label Hunter, having already spent 10 years at Burberry. 

He presented his first autumn/winter 2018-19 collection for Escada at the beginning of the year, drawing inspiration from founder Margaretha Ley's archives while also breathing new life into the brand through playful use of colour, prints and the Escada logo. His collection for spring/summer 2019 looks likely to continue in this vein of renewal and rejuvenation. 

The house's last big runway show took place in Munich in 2015, although the brand also organised a show in South Korea in 2016 in order up its profile on the country's market. Escada is now stepping back into the spotlight with a statement show, a more media-friendly event than a simple presentation and all the more buzzy for being at New York Fashion Week. 

Aside from constituting the centrepiece in Escada's 40th-anniversary celebrations, the NY show is also a way for the brand to gain exposure and communicate its new image. "Since the foundation of Escada in 1978, America has always been an important market, and it's still the case today. So it's a natural choice for us to celebrate this anniversary in New York, while also presenting Niall's new vision for the future of the label to an international audience", highlighted Iris Epple-Righi, the German brand's CEO since 2016, in a release.  

Escada, which also produces the "Escada Sport" line, is distributed through around 800 multibrand stores in 80 countries.