A Crash Course on Fashion Week

With fashion month coming to close, I have talked the ears off of my friends and family members who were polite enough to listen to me ramble on about the shows, the silhouettes, textures and how I, one day, wish to afford at least one of the ensembles. It occurred to me that while I was geeking off on the fashion, a lot of the people I was sharing this with didn’t know what fashion week is all about and why it's so important. Well, important if you care about what you wear. Here’s a crash course on all things fashion week:

What is Fashion Week?

A semi-annual, week-long series of events in which designers present clothing collections to industry insiders—buyers, fashion journalists and top clients. Designers present their Spring and Summer collections in September, and their Fall and Winter collections in February. So this past September, designers showcased their Spring Summer 2023 collections. Fashion Week takes place consecutively in the fashion capitals of the western world: first New York, then London, Milan and finally, Paris.

What is the history behind Fashion Week? Why is it a thing?

Photo of Eleanor Lambert courtesy of CFDA.

The first ever “fashion week” was held in New York on July 19, 1943 as a result of Eleanor Lambert’s efforts. Eleanor Lambert was a well-known publicist and later founder of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). It was initially called “Press Week” and provided an opportunity for editors and fashion writers to see and write about the work of American designers.

Before World War II, fashion magazines around the world saw Parisian fashion as the epitome of style and innovation. With Paris’s occupation during the war, many fashion writers and editors couldn’t make their way to Paris to view the next season’s collections – it was America’s time to shine. Press Week was successful and magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue began to feature more American designers. American ready-to-wear designers began to garner respect and admiration that was previously reserved for French couturiers. From then on, Press Week became Fashion Week with events and shows hosted in venues all over New York City.

Collina Strada SS23. Image courtesy of Vogue.

Who decides which designers get to show at Fashion Week?

It’s complicated! There isn’t an official council or board that decides who can and cannot showcase their work during Fashion Week. Veterans and well-established designers, who regularly show their collections during Fashion Week, will oftentimes expect to show their collection in the next season during a favorable time slot at a great location. So, mostly clout and seniority decide who is in and who is out. Additionally, smaller designers may not be able to afford lofty spaces to show their work, so cost is also a factor.

Why do different designers show in different cities?

Designers show in only one of the four cities and will often show in cities they are based in, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. For example, Christian Siriano, who you’ll know if you were ever obsessed with Project Runway as much as I was, is an American fashion designer whose atelier is located in New York City, therefore, he shows his collections at NYFW. However, the British design house, Vivienne Westwood, recently showed at Paris Fashion Week.

Each city has its connotations—London being edgier, Paris as the hub of originality and innovation, Milan as the commercial center and New York being known for sportswear. These, however, don’t always map on to what you see on the runway.

Kim Kardashian and Sarah Jessica Parker at the Fendi SS23 show . Image courtesy of WWD.

Who goes to the shows? Who is invited?

Thanks to the internet and live-streaming technology, we can all virtually “go” to the shows and make our own judgments from the safety of our sweatpants and birkenstocks.

Attending in person is quite different, of course. Fashion journalists from large and small publications are invited to attend as the shows will spark ideas for feature stories, allow them to forecast trends and write “what to wear this spring” articles for the next six months. Retail store buyers come to see the collections so they can decide what to order for their stores. Other attendees include fashion bloggers, influencers, other designers, friends and family of the designer as well as famous clients, including celebrities.

What is a show like? How long does a show last? What other formats, besides a runway show, can designers show their collections?

I’ve only ever attended one Fashion Week show, so I can only speak to that experience and to the experience of watching the shows virtually from the comfort of my bedroom. A fashion show can run between 10 minutes and 25 minutes. The length depends on the looks that are on display and the pomp, circus and spectacle that accompanies the fashion. This past Fashion Week, Dior showed 84 looks, while Balmain debuted 14.

Beyond a traditional runway show, some designers, such as Kate Spade and Alice and Olivia, have opted for showcases. Showcases feature models posing, almost as mannequins, while the patrons make their way around a room.

Other designers forgo the entire show and showcase, and choose, instead, to invite editors and buyers to their showrooms where they can have a peek at the next season’s collection.

Moschino SS233. Image courtesy of Vogue.

Who actually dresses like that? Is the runway collection different from what you’ll see in store?

Well, what you see on the runway isn’t always practical for running errands and walking the dog. The runway shows are a form of artistic expression and a way in which designers can effectively make a splash and impart the general theme of the collection to the buyers and editors who will effectively be the front people that will translate the collections to us, the consumers. The looks are slightly altered for the store for practicality, such as removing a pool floatie from a Moschino S223 dress.