History of ‘Fashion Week’
“Every year the women of New York leave the past behind and look forward to the future…this is known as Fashion week”
-Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & the City
That’s a powerful statement! Isn’t it? The more I think of it the more I tend to agree…only that now one would actually mean…“Every year the stylish/ fashion conscious men and women of the world leave the past behind and look forward to the future…this is known as FASHION WEEK”! The designers, the buyers, the journalists and now the bloggers, insta-grammers and you-tubers all wait for this fashion event which is popularly known worldwide as ‘THE FASHION WEEK’!
Ever wondered where it all started…or what has its journey been like…I’m for Style shares few interesting facts about #FashionWeeks and #NYFW. Hope you will enjoy!
Origin of Fashion Showcase
The Concept of fashion showcase originated in France in 1850s to present ‘High fashion’ designs to clients.
Did u Know where was the 1st show held?
The 1st formal Fashion week was held in New York and not in Paris. Though the concept originated in France it was what you are about to read next lead to the 1st Fashion Week…
How did the New York Fashion Week or popularly known as #NYFW start?
Americans largely relied on French couture for inspiration ahead of World War-II. However, during WW-II the workers of the american fashion industry were unable to travel to Paris.This opportunity led to the birth of ‘NYFW’.
What was it called back then?
The Fashion weeks held back then were were called “PRESS WEEK”
as the American Designers showcased to Fashion Journalists. Now a days the name ‘Fashion Week’ is generally prefixed by the name of the lead sponsor of the event- such as ‘Mercedes Benz Fashion Week’.
Where were the shows held?
For NYFW’s until 1994, shows were held in different locations then the event moved to Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library, where it remained until 2010, when the shows relocated to Lincoln Centre.
Where else do these fashion weeks take place?
The world’s biggest and most fashionable districts or hubs are known as ‘Fashion Capitals’ . These are Paris | Milan | New York | London ( in that order). Apart from these fashion events do happen else where around the world too.. with many countries doing their own small versions with local designers. In India we currently host the Amazon India Fashion Week in New Delhi and Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. Then there are Miami Fashion Week and Rio FW that just showcase Swimwear collections.
What Happens When!
The Shows are presented twice an year i.e SPRING/ SUMMER & AUTUMN /WINTER at each of the Fashion Capitals by veteran designers. Take note the Fashion Weeks in each Capital takes place according to the following order- 1st NY, then London, after that Milan and finally Paris!
Do ‘Men’ get the due attention?
Of course they do! There is so much more to talk here that i will be doing a concentrated post on ‘ Men’s Fashion Week’ soon:-). In India too men have now started to get their due..(Check out our other India Fashion week story)
How important are ‘Fashion weeks’ today’s time?
The world now is constantly connected in real-time through Facebook | Twitter | Instagram and numerous social media apps… An insight into data behind Fashion Weeks reveals 99.5K tweets | 13.2 K instagram posts (in just 1 month at the time of SS16 NYFW- Sept 2015) which clearly conveys that the geographical canvas of the activity that happens around a fashion week is definitely expanding beyond the fashion capitals.(data source: talk walker.com)
Hope u enjoyed reading this as much as i did writing the ‘History of Fashion Week’ for you. Stay stylish and keep feeding us back with your thoughts, suggestions and insights.
Love, Aanchal