Fashion Week Explained

You've probably heard the term Fashion Week if you've always been interested in fashion. I, too, have heard of it but have only known the gist of it. After reading articles and watching way too many videos, I felt as though I had gathered enough basic information to share on what Fashion Week is.

Fashion Week is an event that takes place in the fashion world. it lasts for one week and is an event where designers and brands display their designs. "Houses" also tend to display their collections in the fashion shows where buyers and the press are more likely to view them. These events are important because they set trends for the upcoming months and years. There are more than a 138 fashion weeks/events around the world. The most popular ones being Paris fashion week, London fashion week, Milan fashion week and New York fashion week. Hence, called the Big 4. These four capitals just so happen to be called the "fashion capitals". Most times, fashion week starts in New York making New York fashion week the first. Moreover, the next event to take place is London's then Milan's and finally being the most important, Paris is the last. Other fashion weeks include Copenhagen, Lagos, Tokyo and Miami. It is only necessary for us, therefore, to look into the big 4 fashion weeks and try to understand their purpose.

Semaine de la mode de Paris or Paris Fashion Week is conducted in Paris and is where well established and big brands display their collections. Brands such as Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Celine are known to display their collections in the shows hosted during Paris Fashion Week. The venues of this event is held throughout the city and sometimes also being hosted in historical places such as Carrousel du Louvre or the Grand Palais.

Settimana della moda or Milan Fashion Week is hosted in Milan. The clothes displayed are such that the autumn/ winter collection is displayed in February or March whereas the spring/ summer collection is displayed in September or October. Milan is different and famous for having maximalist and outlandish brands such as Versace and Gucci.

London Fashion Week is an event that takes place in London mainly during the months of February and September. London fashion week is known to feature around 250 emerging designers. Having more experimental designs rather than commercial designs, London fashion week is appealing to those with an artistic eye. Paris and Milan are always at the forefront for craftsmanship and are known to be quite experimental. However, this is not the case for houses like Comme des Garçons and the likes.

New York Fashion Week is held in New York during the months of February and September every year. This just so happens to be when the international fashion collections are shown to the press/ media, the general public and buyers as well. The aesthetic in this event is very eclectic with a lot of brands hugely influenced by different cultures.