New York Fashion Week is Forcing Vaccination

Now that New York Fashion Week is coming back in person and the pandemic is not completely over, the Council of Fashion Designers in America, also known as the CFDA, and IMG Models are making sure that only vaccinated guests will be allowed to attend New York Fashion Week. All guests will be required to show their vaccination statuses, and anyone younger than 16 years old must show that they have tested negative for COVID-19.

On August 3, CFDA posted an Instagram post with the following information: “In accordance with the City of New York’s Covid-19 vaccination mandate announced this morning, it is the CFDA’s directive that all New York Fashion Week events require proof of vaccination for any guests, staff members or individuals on-site.

Following IMG’s announcement of a vaccination requirement at NYFW: The Shows, we encourage the broader industry to follow suit as it is imperative to place the safety of guests and those working events in the highest priority.

We will be closely following updates and recommendations from the CDC, New York State and City, and will be releasing further detailed guidelines in mid-August.”

This new requirement may lead to fewer people attending New York Fashion Week this year because they have not been vaccinated. Or, on the other hand, this may result in more people who were initially skeptical of the vaccine or unsure whether they wanted it to get vaccinated in order to attend the event. An Instagram post from The Business of Fashion about the article “Are Vaccine Mandates Coming to Fashion?” also explained that while most fashion brands in the United States have been encouraging employees to be vaccinated without making it a requirement, some brands are considering requiring the vaccine. As with other industries, the new vaccine requirements in the fashion industry will likely evoke a variety of reactions from both fashion employees and fashion spectators.