With many spending more time at home amid COVID-19, home improvement projects have become increasingly popular.
Lowe’s and Home Depot have both seen growth during the pandemic, particularly among consumers tackling do-it-yourself projects. Now, Lowe’s is bringing New York Fashion Week home with curations from fashion designers Jason Wu, Rebecca Minkoff and Christian Siriano.
The North Carolina-based home improvement chain gave USA TODAY an exclusive first look at the “straight-off-the-runway” curations, which were inspired by “each designer’s definition of home” and include chairs, lamps, rugs, tables, pillows and even artificial plants.
The curations, now live at Lowes.com/nyfw, include items previously available at Lowe’s.
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In an interview with USA TODAY, Wu said his Lowe’s show will be live unlike many other shows during New York Fashion Week that will be digital and other presentations. His runway show is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT Sept. 13.
“As a native New York designer, I feel like it’s very important that the energy in New York Fashion Week is preserved,” said Wu, adding that the theme for his collection is his “home away from home” in Tulum, Mexico.
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With less travel happening right now, Wu said his goal was to transform people’s at-home spaces into something that allows them to escape reality.
New York City is the vision for Minkoff’s collection, according to the designer’s look book for Lowe’s.
“I was so surprised at the attention to detail I found in the items in my Lowe’s curation – it really brings the fashion aesthetic to home,” Minkoff said in a statement. Her show is scheduled for Sept. 15.
In August, Lowe’s reported its online sales soared 135{2bcf6c72702b5c79c6d60e2b201b92505312452d06f0e1ed088ab13b8bc14c0a}, while same-store sales, including those outside the U.S., rose 34.2{2bcf6c72702b5c79c6d60e2b201b92505312452d06f0e1ed088ab13b8bc14c0a}.
Home Depot also reported a 23.4{2bcf6c72702b5c79c6d60e2b201b92505312452d06f0e1ed088ab13b8bc14c0a} increase in quarterly sales this week at stores opened at least a year globally, which was helped by a frenzied pace for do-it-yourself home renovations.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko