What is Fashion Week?
In the world of fashion, there are particular shows and runway events that are clustered into one gigantic week that is filled with fashion pieces, the newest styles, and plenty of celebrities and designers that are influential when it comes to the latest trends within the industry.
This week is called the “fashion week,” which is a special occasion that is celebrated by thousands of fashionistas around the world because of its jimpact and significance in the realm of fashion.
While fashion week has been a relatively private event for many years, it recently became an online phenomenon as many brands have started to stream their events or have made their runways available for viewing on the internet. According to Harper’s Bazaar, the Paris Fashion Week in 2020 still became quite popular because of its online availability, despite the limitations brought by a global pandemic.
Although fashion week is a fairly popular term, not many people know that there are actually multiple fashion weeks that are held in different cities. In addition, many of the iconic pieces shown in these fashion weeks have also become available online, and you can check out ounass code to get more details about a store where you can get the trendiest fashion pieces. But, to know more about the popular event, here are some details about fashion week, including its origins and history.
Origins of Fashion Week
It is currently known when fashion week actually started, but many historians believe that the tradition of holding a week-long fashion event can be traced back to a fashion designer named Charles Frederick Worth, who would hold week-long parades wherein hired women will wear couture items in various public places like salons and race tracks. The parades would eventually become social events for fashionistas in the area.
The very first fashion show or event in the United States was organized in 1903 by the Ehrich Brothers in New York City in order to entice middle-class women to buy items in their stores. By the late 1900s, fashion shows became quite popular in the United States, and by 1910 various popular department stores started hosting their own fashion shows.
By the 1920s, fashion shows had been common and popular events in the United States, and many retailers in the country had used them to promote and market their items. The fashion shows back then were much more theatrical than what is usually organized today, as the old shows would often stick to a single theme and would have narrative commentary.
Although the origins of fashion week are widely debated, many people agree that the very first official “fashion week” was held in New York City on July 19, 1943, and the event was aptly called the “New York Fashion Week.” In an article written for Vogue, the New York Fashion Week was held in order for fashion houses to sell French fashion pieces to New York customers, who are looking for alternatives to the said trend since they are unable to travel to Paris because of World War II.
New York Fashion Week
Before all the other fashion weeks existed, the first one that came to be was the New York Fashion Week. As previously stated, New York Fashion Week started in 1943, but what people don’t know is that it was created by Eleanor Lambert, the then-press director of the New York Dress Institute, the country’s first promotional organization for fashion. Lambert is widely regarded by many as one of the most influential people in American fashion, as she was able to provide a platform for many American designers to show off their precious creations.
Although it is called today as New York Fashion Week, it was first named “Press Week” and was held in order to allow New Yorkers to have alternatives in fashion when Paris, the fashion capital of the world, was unavailable for tourists and traveling during World War II.
Because of Press Week, many American designers who were previously overshadowed by French designers were able to get a spotlight in the fashion industry for the first time. The New York Fashion Week would become a success, and it would soon be held yearly in order to support new and veteran American fashion designers.
Milan Fashion Week
The second fashion week that was created was the Milan Fashion Week, which was established in 1958 and is organized by the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, a non-profit organization that focuses on preserving the heritage of Italian fashion as well as giving a platform for the development of the industry through veteran and up-and-coming designers in the country.
In Milan Fashion Week, the events that are focused on women’s fashion are considered the most important, although there are also big events for men’s fashion. Milan Fashion Week would usually consist of more than 40 shows each season, and because of the grand scale of the event, the entire city of Milan would transform into a touristic hub while the fashion week is being held.
Paris Fashion Week
The third fashion week is Paris Fashion Week, which was officially recognized in October 1973, although, according to Vogue, the fashion week in the city has existed since 1945. Paris Fashion Week is founded and organized by the French Fashion Federation, the governing body of the French fashion industry.
The first Paris Fashion Week served as a fundraiser held at the Palace of Versailles, which is also the beneficiary of the fundraiser since it needed to be restored to its former beauty. The fundraiser was created when the French government refused to restore the palace, stating that they didn’t have enough funds for restorations.
Although it was held in Paris, the said fashion week was also attended by American designers like Anne Klein and Stephen Burrows. It was reported that there were tensions between the American and French designers during Paris Fashion Week, thus prompting many media outlets to name the event “The Battle of Versailles” because of how competitive the designers were.
London Fashion Week
The fourth fashion week created was the London Fashion Week, an event that was established in 1983 by the British Fashion Council for the London Development Agency. London Fashion Week is reported to be attended by more than 5,000 guests, which includes press people and buyers.
Although it is the last fashion week that was created out of the “Big Four,” it is actually held second, as New York Fashion Week is held first, followed by the London Fashion Week and the Milan Fashion Week, and then the Paris Fashion Week would serve as the finale within the Big Four.
Those are just some of the best details that we can provide in terms of the origins and history of fashion week. If you have the opportunity or chance, you should go to all of the fashion weeks that are held in the four cities mentioned above so that you can complete the fashion week experience.
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With love,
FWO
