Focusing on young or emerging designers and their contributions to the changing fashion industry in the vibrant climate of New York city, New York Fashion explores its importance as a fashion capital in the 21st century. Tracing New York's emergence after the Second World War as a major international fashion capital and looking at the important designers of the period, including Clare McCardle and Charles James, it will also look briefly at the last quarter of the 20th century which was dominated by the ready-to-wear empires of designers such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger that allowed little for new design visions. In the past five years, a group of young, talented New York-based designers of clothing and accessories has emerged and is finding critical and commercial success. Sonnet Stanfill examines the reasons behind this exciting rise in new talent and illustrates the best examples of the work of twenty of New York's next generation of fashion designers, including Zac Posen, Proenza Schouler, Jean Yu, Benhaz Sarafphor and Derek Lam.