New York Fashion Week spotlights American brands that have bucked luxury slowdown

By Alicia Powell and Helen Reid

NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - New York Fashion Week will kick off the month-long fashion show season next Wednesday, at a time when some U.S. labels are finding new popularity even as the luxury industry struggles with a global slowdown.

Among the closely watched catwalk shows will be Ralph Lauren RL.N and Coach TPR.N, both of whom have bucked the trend and are enjoying strong demand, with preppy styles in and some shoppers opting for more affordable handbags after sharp price hikes at the likes of Chanel and Dior.

Efforts to reform NYFW are underway after the event suffered from a decline in sponsorship from big brands, with some large labels opting to stage shows outside the usual calendar.

"It is our goal to make it easier for designers to be able to show a collection and not have to worry about where do we get the funds," said Imad Izemrane, co-founder and CEO of N4XT Experiences, which has been working on improving NYFW. Changes already implemented in September included setting up a central venue for shows to avoid visitors crisscrossing the city and getting stuck in traffic.

Ralph Lauren's show takes place on Tuesday at the Jack Shainman Gallery, ahead of the official start of NYFW on Wednesday when designer Rachel Scott will show her debut collection for Proenza Schouler.

Among the other names on the agenda are Carolina Herrera and Michael Kors, while young Romanian designer Lorena Pipenco will close the week with her brand Pipenco's debut show. Overall some 60 labels will host catwalk shows or designer presentations at NYFW, which runs from February 11 to 16.