Journal #4

New York Fashion Week is an iconic event every year that showcases collections that will define the trends of the following season. Held twice a year, Fashion Week, hosted not only in New York, but also notably in Milan, Paris, and London, critics and style enthusiasts worldwide look to the event for inspiration for the upcoming seasons and to appreciate the seasonal lines that are being released by commended designers. The creation of this event marked a point in the history of fashion that changed how fashion is showcased everywhere.

The first ever Fashion Week was held in 1943, during the midst of World War II. Fashion Week was held in New York City to distract American fashion enthusiasts during the Nazi occupation of France during this time. Since the concept of fashion shows arose from events taking place in French salons during the 1800s, it is important to note that many American fashion shows were merely copying French designs and trends in couture prior to the start of Fashion Week. Unlike our modern fashion shows, these shows were more aimed towards middle-class consumers rather than towards the press. This cultural break from French fashion allowed Americans to begin to cultivate their own ideas of fashion and American designers became increasingly more notable, beginning to appear in publications such as the ever-famous Vogue and other fashion magazines at the time. "Press-Week" as it was called was the first edition of New York Fashion Week as we know it and this was where the humble beginnings of American fashion as we know it came from.

Over the years, Fashion Week began to gain momentum in places around the world including London, Paris, and Milan. With the ever evolving timeline of fashion, the couture style began to lose it's prevalence to designers began to focus on "ready-to-wear" pieces, which are still extremely popular today. Fashion Week didn't gain it's name until the 1990s, and it's a name utilized in conjunction with the city in which the event takes place, examples including "New York Fashion Week" or "Paris Fashion Week".

This event holds extreme significance in the world of fashion and fashion media. Fashion Week allows journalists, critics, and consumers alike to have exposure for upcoming trends and lines that will shape the fashion industry in the upcoming seasons. This is important because it unifies designers with their consumers and enables a dialogue about themes seen throughout lines.

Sources Used:

• Laneri, Raquel. “How New York Fashion Week became the spectacle it is today.” New York Post, New York Post, 7 Sept. 2017, nypost.com/2017/09/07/how-new-york-fashion-week-became-the-spectacle-it-is-today/

• “History of Fashion Week.” Fashion Week Online®, fashionweekonline.com/history-of-fashion-week.