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4 days ago5 min read

Fashion's Godmother: A Conversation with Fern Mallis


Smiling woman (Fern Mallis) with wavy blonde hair in a beige knit sweater and layered necklaces. Soft, patterned background adds warmth to the portrait.
Image courtesy of Fern Mallis.

New Yorkers attribute their city's je ne sais quoi to its water—the life force (water) cleanses fakery and commodification and baptizes the blessed city as the cultural and economic capital of the United States. Being blessed by New York's water allows you to leave a lasting impact on the American landscape. 



Brooklyn Bridge lit at night with NYC skyline. Vibrant glass mosaic structure in foreground. Calm waters reflect city lights.
Image courtesy of Amon Focus.

Dreamers flock to New York. They want to bathe in its opportunities and forge meaningful connections. What made New York the romanticized city for every twenty/thirty-something? Who caused New York to be the epicenter of American culture, food, and fashion? 



New York City Lower Eastside skyline with tall buildings at sunset, brick buildings in the foreground, and a busy street with cars and taxis below.
Image courtesy of Alexander Spatari/Getty Images.


The answer is Fern Mallis. Known as Fashion's Godmother, Mallis cemented New York's place as America's fashion capital. Mallis led the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) from 1991 to 2001 and created New York Fashion Week. Fern Mallis continues acting as a Medici to American fashion through her work as a host for New York’s 92Y talks and writer of her book series Fashion Lives. How did Fashion's Godmother transform the world's perception of American Fashion? How has Fern solidified American designers' place in the fashion pantheon? I spoke with her to learn about her incredible career and any insights she might have about success in fashion. 



Crowd gathers outside a tent marked "Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week," surrounded by tall buildings. People wear winter coats and the mood is lively.
Image courtesy of Fern Mallis.


 

Interview with Fashion's Godmother Fern Mallis


  1. What is the difference between Fashion and Style?

Fashion is the umbrella term that covers a product’s lifecycle in various states, including production, manufacturing, and selling.


Person in grey sweater drawing on paper in a fashion design studio. Background shows mannequins, sewing machines, and two people talking.
Image courtesy of the Fashion Institute of Technology.


Style is something entirely different—it’s the inherent sense of knowing what looks good on you and nonverbally communicating your story through clothing. Style is an innate quality that someone either possesses or does not. While you cannot teach someone style, someone can learn how to style themselves better.



November 20, 1974: Where: With Mick Jagger at the "Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design" Exhibition. Bianca Jagger, in a glittery red dress and hat, stands beside a man in a pinstripe suit in a dimly lit setting with several people in the background.
Image courtesy of Ron Galella and Getty.


  1. How has the fashion industry evolved since you first started?

This little device-iPhone-changed everything. Today, people don’t talk to each other. They communicate through the iPhone. We gather information through the iPhone. Consumers make their purchasing decisions through the iPhone.



Hand balancing a pink-screen smartphone on one finger. Background is a smooth gradient of purple, creating a modern, sleek vibe.
Image courtesy of Media from Wix.


I did not grow up in that universe. When I started, people and their families ran the fashion industry. The fashion realm changed when I was at CFDA in the 1990s. The ‘90s became the era when the business of fashion metamorphized into brands. Brands differ from fashion houses because they report to shareholders. Fashion shows, magazine readership, and print media changed. Products that were once commodities, like sneakers, transformed into a multibillion-dollar facet of the fashion world.



Shelves display various colorful sneakers and hats in a sneaker store, set against a white wall, creating a vibrant and organized scene at Extra Butter.
Image courtesy of Julia Cawley, The Up Studio, Extra Butter and Tristan Warner Studios.


Fashion is ever-evolving.- Fern Mallis

In today’s world, fashion companies understand their environmental footprint. They want to offset their carbon footprint. Another evolution in fashion is Influencer marketing. Influencers shift how companies communicate with their audiences and promote their products.



Woman in yellow dress sorts colorful clothes in green bin outdoors, surrounded by greenery, creating a vibrant and lively scene.
Image courtesy of Degimages- Stock.Adobe.com.


  1. What advice would you give to students and young professionals who want to enter the fashion realm?

“ Be Nice.” - Fern Mallis

It’s the most important thing. You spend a lot of time with the people you work with. People want to work with nice people and not someone who believes the world owes them something.



Four people collaborate in an office around a computer. A whiteboard with notes is in the background. Focused and engaged atmosphere.
Image courtesy of Media by Wix.

When you enter a new job (no matter what industry), show up early and stay late. You should offer to do anything and everything. Your ears should be open wide, and let your mind absorb everything. Don’t try to show off that you’re so smart. Actively listen to the tasks and dive into each with a smile. Kindness goes a long way.



  1. Gen Z emphasizes style icons like Jane Birken, Donna Summer, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Bianca Jaggar, and more when defining their aesthetic. How do these leaders continue to influence consumers and fashion brands? 

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was a traditional style icon. When someone ventures to read biographies about her life, the work could influence how they dress. In today’s world, musicians like Taylor Swift serve as contemporary style icons through their colossal concerts impacting fashion. Yet, I don’t see a single person that defines style in today’s world. I think it’s a free-for-all. 





  1. You were instrumental in founding New York Fashion Week. How did it legitimize and solidify American designers' impact on fashion?

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) began in 1993 to put American designers on a platform comparable to Paris, Milan, and London.


Model in a flowing black dress walks a cobblestone runway. Seated audience watches, capturing the show against a grand open-air building background.
Image courtesy of David Dee Delagado/AFP/Getty Images.

CFDA created NYFW in response to an accident at the 1992 Michael Kors in Chelsea. The loud bass caused the ceiling to crumble onto the runway. Supermodels Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell brushed it off and continued to walk as plaster landed on the laps of the most important editors in the front row (like the New York Times and International Herald Tribune). They wrote that while we live for fashion, we don’t want to die for it. Nobody remembers what Michael Kors showed that season, but they remember how the show razed the roof.



Naomi Campbell at the Perry Ellis spring/summer 1993 show walking runway in a checkered dress, brown suede jacket, and knit hat. The confident expression on a plain background.
Image courtesy of the Condé Nast archive.


NYFW started as a way to provide a safe space. We wanted to create a structurally sound venue for designers to present their collections and conduct the business at hand. Eventually, the venue evolved into the famous tents. 


People stand outside a tent adorned with colorful campaign-style fashion signs at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Bryant Park.
Image courtesy of Marilynn K. Yee for The New York Times.


Designers and fashion brands understand that the American market is a bigger economic engine. The tents served as an Ellis Island of fashion. Since its founding, New York Fashion Week has continuously provided a platform for emerging and established fashion houses and brands every five to six months.



Models showcase vibrant fashion on a runway. A model in a yellow fringed dress stands out. Evening sky and audience in the background.
Image courtesy of .Landon Nordeman for The New York Times.

 


Statue of Liberty stands tall with NYC skyline at sunset. Calm waters with a ferry, sailboats, and pink-tinged clouds enhance the serene mood.
Image courtesy of Getty Images.


Emma Lazarus’s sonnet, The New Colossus, greeted millions of immigrants who left religious persecution or economic hardships to courageously sail into an unknown harbor. These people decided that the unknown future was better than their present circumstances. This lullaby soothed and provided hope for people. Fern Mallis’s ethos echoes Lazarus’s sonnet. She welcomes people into the fashion world. Mallis cultivated fashion’s meritocratic environment. I believe fashion is one of the few pure meritocracies left. A person’s education and background do not limit their potential. She paved the way for many people to change how society thinks about clothes. This culture trickled down, so in 2021, fashion companies were kind enough to take a chance on a graduate student in North Carolina. In 2024, I am fortunate to meet the women, Fashion’s Godmother and Statue of Liberty, lighting the torch of American fashion.





Two women reviewing colorful fabric designs at a table. Collage of floral patterns on wall. Glass and paisley cloth nearby. Bright office.
Image courtesy of Fern Mallis.



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Me on my first day of graduate school

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