On Wednesday through Friday, the NYPL’s Business Center is holding events on the business of fashion, in celebration of 2026 New York Fashion Week.
Held in person at its 455 5th Avenue location and online, the events are designed for small business entrepreneurs, start-ups, freelancers, designers, consultants and the industry-curious to attend. The series explores strategy, research and real-world knowledge of the behind-the-scenes of building and the growth of fashion ventures. Branding, intellectual property, market research, sustainability and more are the topics that will be explored over the next three days.
“Sustainable Fashion Industry and Market Research” held on Wednesday online from 4 to 5 p.m. showcases how to research sustainable fashion and related industries, market insights and consumer trends. It also looks at the current industry performance of fashion designers within the U.S., a consumer insights report on sustainable shopping consumer behavior in the U.S. and more.
On Thursday, the “Importance of Intellectual Property Rights in the World of Fashion” online event from noon to 1 p.m. features Liz Jackson, acting director of the Northeast Regional Outreach Office of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to cover trademarks, patents and copyrights in relation to the fashion industry.
Later that evening, in person, from 6 to 7 p.m., “Branding 101” explores how brands are more than just their logos. The introductory class covers the fundamentals of branding, including how to clearly define a company’s mission to consumers, how to identify the target audience and how to develop a consistent brand voice. Through the NYPL’s business databases, it provides market research, competitor analysis and audience insights to build a brand name for consumers to recognize and trust.
“The Luxury Fashion Consumer,” online on Friday from 1 to 2 p.m., aids with researching the luxury fashion sector, marketing insights and consumer trends by using various databases including Mintel, EMIS, Statista and Business Insights: Essentials. The event also looks at a 2025 report on the U.S. luxury consumer, consumers’ insights on luxury goods with in-depth analysis, brand KPIs for luxury fashion and more.
And to end the programming, in person from 3 to 4 p.m., “Introduction to Intellectual Property and Fashion” helps to learn about protecting business assets and ideas. The NYPL’s Thomas Yoseloff Business Center, which also functions as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center, offers an intro class on IP, learning about the four different types of them.
The NYPL also features WWD archives from 1910-2015.