World-famous brands and designers, the best models come to New York every second week of February and September every year, followed by fashion lovers, buyers, press and tourists. This is when New York Fashion Week (NYFW) takes place – one of the 4 major events in the world of “haute couture”. The daily shows glide into a lively after-party that attracts couturiers from all over the world. Designers showcase autumn/winter collections in February and spring/summer collections in September.
New York Fashion Week begins a series of fashion events, immediately after London and Milan are held, and the fashion week in Paris completes the series. Many designers in New York are just warming up, leaving strength for the European shows.
A Little History
The first NYFW was held in New York in 1943, when Europe was embroiled in World War II and thought the least about fashion. The U.S. was deprived of its main source of fashion news, that’s when Eleanor Lambert suggested holding a local fashion festival. When European countries came to their senses after the war, designers supported the idea. Later the fashion weeks appeared first in Paris, then in Milan and London – the so-called “Big Four” formed.
For almost 70 years the venue for NYFW was Bryant Park in Manhattan, where gigantic white tents were set up for the occasion. Now the shows are held at Lincoln Center and are attended by about 200,000 visitors each year.