Tanya Taylor Opts Out Of NYFW; Releases 5-Part Comedy Series Instead

Tanya Taylor’s never been one to follow the norm when it comes to her namesake brand, from the designs to the way she presents them. And her Fall Winter 2020 collection will follow suit.

The Canadian designer launched her label in 2012, and by her sophomore collection, was already pushing the boundaries by presenting 22 looks in the Agnes Gund Garden Lobby of Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art. Her 2015 Resort collection didn’t involve a runway at all; instead, the brand teamed up with mixed-media artist Kalen Hollomon to place models all across Manhattan, from the inside of subway cars to outside of bodegas. And in recent years, for both her Spring and Fall 2019 presentations, Taylor chose to hold women’s power luncheons rather than traditional shows, a move that feels both relevant and sustainable compared to her competitors who continue to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on 10-minute-long productions. 

For the first time since she launched her brand, Tanya Taylor will be stepping away from the physical realm of NYFW to instead bring the industry into the digital age with a five-part comedy series starring none other than Jane Krakowski, Gillian Jacobs, Sasheer Zamata, Zosia Mamet, and Michelle Buteau. 

“When I think about the moments that I’m most proud of over the past eight years, it’s the moments where we have brought people together and made a positive impact on someone’s day,” Taylor says. “So, we turned our focus for NYFW to what matters most to us, which is spreading joy and lifting people up. We knew we wanted to make people laugh, and what better way to do that than to work with brilliant and funny women.”

The series, titled “FASHUN WEEK,” was a response to Taylor noticing that her loyal customers weren’t getting the chance to experience her Fashion Week presentations — runway show or otherwise. To see what they had to say, the team took to Instagram, posing the question: “What do you think is funny about fashion/fashion week?” to their feed. “The answers were hilarious and true and pure gold for comedy skits,” the press release states. 

To compile the 5-piece team to act out the skits, Taylor hired Jill Demling, British Vogue’s Entertainment Director at Large, while Samantha Shanker from Tina Fey’s company Little Stranger was brought in to write the scripts. The result? A hilarious compilation that, for anyone who’s participated in Fashion Week in the past, is surprisingly accurate. We especially like the return of first season Shoshanna (but dressed to the nines in Tanya Taylor rather than Zosia Mamet’s character’s ubiquitous tracksuits). Oh, and the not so subtle, “What am I not paying you for?” question posed by Michelle Buteau during her #FASHUNFITTING.

As for the collection itself, prepare for all of your favourite Tanya Taylor specialties, from vibrant hues and bold patterns to voluminous ruffles and feminine details — all of which will be modeled by the five comedians featured in her NYFW #FASHUNWEEK skits for the Fall 2020 lookbook. See it all right here by clicking through the slideshow ahead.