Fashion Week, Where Did It Come From?
Written by Valentine Fabre
For the past three weeks, buyers, journalists, celebrities and influencers from all over the world have gathered in New York, London, Milan and now Paris to observe and critique designers’ visions for the upcoming seasons. While today Fashion Month is an international event that dominates news cycles and captivates social media users, its foundation and original format were quite different.
Here is everything you need to know about the history of Fashion Week.
Where Did It Start?
The creation of Haute Couture can easily be traced back to English-born, Paris-based fashion designer Frederick Charles Worth, who established his legendary brand House of Worth in 1858. The couturier is credited with inventing the fashion show, being the first to invite his high society customers to his salon where they could admire his latest designs, worn by live models instead of mannequins. The format became increasingly popular, with many private salon shows being held in Paris for designers’ most valued clients.
In 1903, the first US fashion show took place in the Ehrich Brothers department store in Manhattan, which was alleged to be a lot more theatrical than the ones happening in Paris. By 1910, most department stores across the country were holding their own fashion shows, but it was not until 1943 that the first-ever “New York Fashion Week” was born. At the time, its aim was to offer alternatives to French fashion during World War II due to the people’s inability to travel abroad.
What Did It Look Like?
Today’s runway shows can be staged pretty much anywhere budgets allow, leading to grandiose shows by the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. However, 80 years ago, these events generally took place either at the designer’s salon or in hotels, and were far more intimate — albeit widely publicised. The narrow runways were surrounded by tightly arranged chairs, and the shows would last about an hour, with models walking silently and without any music playing. The only audible sounds came from someone announcing the number or name of the displayed look. Such runways are still highly influential and referenced, such as Balenciaga’s Fall 2023 Couture show.
Who Was It For?
From celebrities and influencers to traditional press, Fashion Week guests are typically picked based on their ability to draw media attention to brands and their new collections. This dates back to the first-ever fashion week, founded in 1943 in New York by publicist Eleanor Lambert. Then named “Press Week”, the event did not allow fashion buyers to attend any shows; to see the collections, they had to book private appointments. It was only when Milan, Paris and London produced their own Fashion Weeks in 1958, 1973 and 1984, respectively, that buyers were allowed to sit for shows.
From there, the purpose of Fashion Week kept evolving, eventually becoming an audience engagement opportunity for brands and their fans. In that vein, in 1984 Thierry Mugler hosted an immense show for 60,000 guests — half of which normal members of the public. This stunt set the stage for the democratic shows we are now used to.
Moving forward, brands’ strategies will continue to oscillate between large shows that act as marketing spectacles, and smaller affairs that cater to a niche target audience, and function more as a trade show for editors and buyers.
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Written by Valentine Fabre