It’s always kind of like Groundhog Day when Fashion Week rolls around. We’ve all been here before, but in the weeks leading up, we’re like deer caught in headlights—anxiously waiting for the frenzy to start. But what is it? Fashion Week can seem like a mysterious, seemingly glamorous machine that churns out countless runway shows, copious amounts of street style photos, and lots of celebrities preening in the front rows. So, before this season’s madness starts on February 12, we thought we’d break it down to the basics. Here we go.
What is Fashion Week?
In a super condensed nutshell, Fashion Week is when the industry’s top designers present their upcoming collections in a series of runway shows and presentations.
When did Fashion Week start? What is the history behind it?
The first official Fashion Week began as "Press Week" in 1943 at the height of World War II. The American fashion media couldn’t get over to Paris—where the most fashion-y of shows went down—to see the next season’s collections. Silver lining: It was New York (and America’s) chance to show the world what they could do. From then on, Press Week turned into Fashion Week and shows were staged in venues all over New York City. But in 1994 the runways found their first home at Bryant Park, conveniently located near the Garment District. Eventually the shows outgrew the iconic midtown grassy green, and "the tents," as they’re affectionately called (more on that below), moved over to Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center in 2010.
**OK, so what are the logistics? **
New York Fashion Week (NYFW) happens twice a year—once in February and once in September. The designers always show collections for the season ahead, so starting February 12, 2015, we’ll be seeing what will be on the racks for fall 2015/winter 2016, and come September 2015, we’ll be watching the spring/summer 2016 looks strut down the runway. This year, NYFW shows run officially from February 12 to February 19 (you can check out the full schedule here), but different parties and festivities always start a day or two earlier. There are various other series of runway shows throughout the year (Haute Couture, Swim Week, etc.), but when people refer to Fashion Week, it’s this biannual event they’re talking about.
**Wait, why does Fashion Week seem to last so much longer than a week? **
Well, for the official spring/summer and fall/winter seasons, Fashion Week runs consecutively in major style capitals around the world, starting with New York. This season, when NYFW ends, London picks right up from February 20 to February 24, then Milan from February 25 to March 3, culminating in Paris from March 5 to March 11. Hence what fashion peeps jokingly refer to as Fashion Month.
Who decides which designers get to show at Fashion Week?
Well, it depends. There isn’t an official board or council or overlord that officially decides who gets to sit at the Fashion Week table. But it’s still a bit more politically complicated. In the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents, clout and seniority (like if you’ve been showing there for years and years) are important for designers to score one of the limited spots and call dibs on a time slot. For instance, emeritus designers basically show every season, and the industry knows and plans for it. The other issue is budget—not every designer can afford an elaborate show at an expensive venue.
