By SHELLIE FRAI

Twice a year since 1993, people that work in the fashion industry flock to New York City with suitcases full of flamboyant clothes, energy bars and portable phone chargers, all in the hopes of making New York Fashion Week seem just a little less chaotic.

However this year, chaos seems inevitable because big labels like Rebecca Minkoff, Tommy Hilfiger and Rachel Zoe are all going to Los Angeles to showcase their fall/winter 2017 collections, while other designers are staying in New York.

This big shift in location is a way for the designers to stay local to their customer base. Rachel Zoe’s brand is predominantly a California-based label, which is why she decided to show her new collection in the city she has more of an influence in.

Tommy Hilfiger is not only shaking up the fashion world by showcasing his new collection in California, but his newest collection is a collaboration between him and supermodel, Gigi Hadid.

This will be his second collection that has been created by him and Hadid, an idea that has uprooted his once waning brand due to her constant exposure of the brand’s clothes to her 29 million Instagram followers.

Minkoff who already showed her latest collection in L.A., just days before the official start to NYFW, took a page out of Hilfiger’s book and took advantage of the exposure Instagram can give a fashion label.

Minkoff filled her runway with fashion influencers and bloggers that have a massive social media following, instead of the usual runway models that are not as popular online.

Fashion blogger, Aimee Song of Song of Style, who has an Instagram following of over four million followers opened and closed Minkoff’s show, posting photos and videos all over her Instagram, Snapchat and blog.

These big changes to the way fashion shows are conducted comes at a time when the fashion industry is evolving into a more informal and casual environment.

Just last year, high fashion labels like Burberry, Topshop and Proenza Schouler created “See Now Buy Now” collections. Meaning, instead of showcasing collections months before the clothes will appear in stores, the designers are showcasing their collections and immediately putting it in stores and online for people to purchase.

This immediacy and casualness is a way for the fashion industry to keep up with millennial’s fast-changing behaviors and immediate needs.

However, some say it is deterring the importance of the fashion industry’s long standing rules and regulations.

For example, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the organization that puts NYFW together, was ignored by rapper-turned-designer, Kanye West, when he failed to confirm his fashion show block with the CFDA.

This disregard for one of fashion’s biggest organizations is a step in a new direction for the industry.

2017 is the beginning of a whole new age for the fashion industry, only time will tell what else will change for the industry and if they are up for the challenge.