Fashion Week: Battle for the Heart of New York

New York fashion week kicked off with a battle for bragging rights over the city between two American fashion houses.

DKNY, the label which designer Donna Karan says "is inspired and fueled by all things New York", celebrated its 20th anniversary on Saturday by jettisoning its customary informal presentations with a more grown-up new look. The clothes on the catwalk were "a celebration of the creativity and diversity of New York City streets," Karan said.

But Karan does not have a monopoly on the NYC aesthetic. Calvin Klein has created a colossal global brand by bottling the essence of urban, youthful, all-American sex appeal for four decades. For a brand which trades on the allure of a carefree, baggage-free eternal youthfulness, a 40th birthday is a double-edged sword: how to maximize the commercial potential without drawing attention to your age?

The Calvin Klein solution was a spectacular party which focused on the future, rather than the past. It was held at the High Line, the as yet unopened public park currently being forged out of a disused elevated railway line which runs for 1.5 miles along the west side of Manhattan, due to open this year. Calvin Klein ensured a stellar turnout by offering an exclusive preview of the park to guests, while also underscoring the label's New York credentials.

The commercial might of New York fashion, as demonstrated by the Calvin Klein celebrations, poses a serious problem for London fashion week. New York has announced that February's shows are to move back by a week, in effect squashing London's slot on the fashion calendar, so that British designers have only four days to squeeze in shows before the Milan shows begin.

The move could have a devastating impact on London fashion week, demoting it to become a second-tier city without the week-long slot accorded to New York, Milan and Paris. London fashion has been resurgent of late, with British designers Luella Bartley and Alice Temperley returning their catwalk shows to the city after spells in New York, but many labels would probably consider moving abroad if London were to suffer this blow to prestige.

In the current economic climate, in fashion as elsewhere, money talks - and London fashion week is struggling to make itself heard.