New York Fashion Week
New York, New York. We all know how the song goes. The Big Apple has been the centre of the style universe for years, and nothing really says style like New York Fashion Week. The bi-annual event brings together all the most fashionable people in the city, and many travel from across the world to attend.
Part of an international fashion month, it is joined by other Fashion Weeks in London, Paris and Milan. Are you a fashion-forward lady who would love to be in the front row seeing all the most inspiring trends? Read on to find out more.
A history of style
Founded in 1943, this amazing event was the world’s first-ever organised fashion week. Originally known as “Press Week”, it was created in order to give American fashion a chance to shine. During World War II, fashion industry specialists could not travel to Paris to see French fashion – and Paris was then, as it is now, a hotspot when it came to popular style.
America no longer wanted to simply reproduce what the French fashionistas did. They wanted to make the fashion world their own!
Based in New York, Press Week put American designers at the centre of their schedule, showing off that America could be just as innovative and exciting when it came to new looks and twists on classic styles. Originally held yearly, it was a great success and soon everyone wanted to be part of NY fashion style. It even resulted in more American designers being featured in magazines such as Vogue.
Magical moments
New York Fashion Week has a history not just of showcasing gorgeous new styles and beauty trends. It is also an amazing place for designers to show off their own quirky flair. In 1966, models were told to not just walk straight up and down the catwalk – they should have fun with it. This resulted in a memorable (and, for the time, quite surprising!) experience for spectators. In the 1970s, the designer Perry Ellis used a pep rally to make his collection a real talking point. This continues into the modern day, with designers coming up with exciting and shocking new ways to make their collections the talking point of the season.
Taking the world by storm
Held in February and September, you can be sure that you will see echoes of the sensational styles debuted at New York Fashion Week coming into each new season. The designers whose collections might seem a little wild to be worn as street style are often imitated by the high street, where you will find a toned-down version of their visionary designs. However, if you want to see the original looks “in the wild”, so to speak, you need look no further than the fashion magazines and awards ceremonies – celebrities never shy away from making a serious style statement.
When and where
New York Fashion Week hasn’t always had the same home, but is currently usually held at Spring Studios in NYC’s trendy TriBeCa. Some designers like to take their shows out into the city with original and awe-inspiring settings. You never know when you might see a striking attendee walking the streets of Manhattan.
How to attend
You really do have to be someone to get an invite to the hottest spot in town. Admission to the runway shows is offered in the form of accreditation (meaning you have to be either the fashion elite, a famous face or a have a press pass). Some shows, even within this, are invite-only. So the really high-end styles could be too elite even for some of the famous people you see gracing the pages of your favourite fashion magazine! There are some designers and brands that do offer installations to the general public, such as a “Supermodel Flea Market” which featured donations from famous models. Keep your eyes peeled and wear your comfiest shoes if you want to walk the walk in the city.
Moving with the times
There are some ways you can witness the action, even if you can’t travel to New York itself. New York Fashion Week has taken to streaming up to sixty of their shows and other events, including backstage interviews and exclusive content. So true fashion lovers can enjoy watching these exciting events from the comfort of their own home.
So remember – the next time you see some striking street style, you can be pretty sure that a version of it was first seen on fearless ladies walking at New York Fashion Week!
Image by Free-Photos via Pixabay
