A Fashion Week catwalk

Vogue editors Anna Wintour and André Leon Talley during New York Fashion Week

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen on Fashion Rio autumn/winter 2007 catwalk. Vogue is a Fashion and lifestyle Magazine published in eighteen countries by Condé Nast Publications. Anna Wintour OBE (born November 3 1949 in London) is the Editor-in-chief of American Vogue, a position she has held since André Leon Talley (born October 16 1949 is the Editor-at-large for Vogue magazine and has been a front-row regular at Fashion shows in Gisele Caroline Bündchen (born July 20 1980 is a Brazilian model.

A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, that allows fashion designers or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows. The most prominent fashion weeks are held in the fashion capitals like Milan, Paris, London, and New York City. A fashion capital is a location which is influential in fashion and in which fashion is important Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The City of New York ^[1] In the early and mid 2000s, fashion weeks sprang up around the globe to draw attention to designers elsewhere. List of Fashion designers American Carlota Alfaro Pegah Anvarian Max Azria ^[1]

Characteristics

In the major fashion capitals, fashion weeks are semiannual events. January through March designers showcase their fall collections and September through November the spring collections are shown. Fashion weeks must be held several months in advance of the season to allow the press and buyers a chance to preview fashion designs for the following season. Fashion design is the Applied art dedicated to Clothing and lifestyle Accessories created within the cultural and social influences of a specific time This is also to allow time for retailers to arrange to purchase or incorporate the designers into their retail marketing.

Fashion weeks are attended by buyers for major stores, editors of fashion magazines, the media, celebrities, and members of the entertainment industry. In years past, fashion weeks were predominantly for "the trade only"; however, today they are entertainment and media events. They may include live musicians, celebrity guests, lavish galas and charity events, and a few allow the public to purchase special passes to see the runway shows or attend expositions which display handbags, jewellery, shoes, hats and cosmetics. Many important fashion design schools participate in the shows, as well.

Some fashion weeks can be genre-specific, such as a Miami Fashion Week (Swimwear), Prêt-a-Porter (ready-to-wear) Fashion Week, Couture (one-of-a-kind designer original) Fashion Week and Bridal Fashion Week, while Portland (Oregon, USA) Fashion Week shows some eco-friendly designers.

History

The earliest fashion week, held in New York City in 1943, was intended to attract attention away from French fashion during World War II, when fashion industry insiders were unable to travel to Paris to see French fashion shows. The City of New York Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[2] Fashion publicist Eleanor Lamber organized an event she called "Press Week" to showcase American designers for fashion journalists, whose innovations had been previously neglected. Fashion journalism is an umbrella term used to describe all aspects of published Fashion media ^[2] (Buyers were not admitted to the shows and instead had to visit designers' showrooms. ^[2]) Press Week was a success, and fashion magazines like Vogue, which were normally filled with French designs, increasingly featured American fashion. However after the war, people returned to Paris, and to other fashion "superpowers"; London and Milan, for the new fashion weeks that had emerged. At this point in time, these four cites controlled the fashion calendar, and continue to control it to this day. In the aspects of the buying side, and journalistic side, that is good, as it means less travel and the ease of simply jetting from New York, to the next in line London, then to Milan and lastly Paris in the space of one month. For buyers abroad, the convenience of this arrangement has meant that due to the proximity of London to Milan and to Paris, it means the fashion week is getting even more important.

The one major criticism is, is that talented designers from emerging fashion weeks like Los Angeles or São Paulo, do not get the same recognition as the designers that show in the traditional four fashion weeks, of Paris, London, Milan or New York. It also means that the established designers 'rule' the market, and new designers such as those from lesser economically developed countries, may not be able to open a slot in the fashion week schedule, in the four fashion capitals, hence, although maybe possessive of talent, their abilities to showcase this are severely hindered.

Cities with fashion week

See also

• Fashion design
• Maite Dalila
• Haute couture
• Ready-to-wear

References