Fashion week

A fashion week is a week-long industry event where designers, brands, or fashion houses present their newest collections through runway shows for buyers and the media, shaping trends for the current and upcoming seasons. The most notable fashion weeks occur in the world’s fashion capitals—New York City, Milan, and Paris, in that order—and these, along with smaller events held elsewhere during the same period, are known as fashion months.

The concept originated in Paris in the late 1800s, later spreading to New York, Milan, and London in the 1900s. What started as marketing garments in public spaces like racetracks evolved into highly publicized events. By the 2000s, sustainability themes began appearing at fashion weeks and gained popularity over the following decade. In recent years, fashion weeks have adapted to a faster retail cycle with “see now, buy now” and in-season shows. Organizers have suggested combining collections for one season or merging men’s and women’s wear shows to reduce carbon emissions, as seen at Paris Fashion Week in 2023–2024.

**History** Early signs of a fashion week trace back to designer Charles Frederick Worth in the late 1800s. The practice began in Paris, where marketers hired women to wear couture items in public places like racetracks and beauty salons. These parades became social events in their own right. In France, runway shows are still called “défilés de mode,” meaning fashion parades. A style show is an event staged by a designer to display their upcoming line of clothing and accessories during Fashion Week, debuting each season, particularly Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter.

The first Paris Fashion Week was driven by designer Paul Poiret, known as the King of Fashion, who led the fashion world in the early 1900s. He wanted to present his designs on live, moving bodies and combined socializing with shopping by hosting multiple galas featuring his pieces. Guests were asked to dress in their finest to match his lavish designs. Over time, the shows became smaller and invitations more exclusive. Fashion houses began dressing models in their collections for client-only audiences. Unlike today, photographers were banned due to concerns about copied designs.

The Fédération Française de la Couture organized the first official Paris Fashion Week in 1973. It opened with the tense Battle of Versailles Fashion Show, a competition between five top French designers and five American designers without famous backing. In 1903, a Manhattan shop called Ehrich Brothers held what is thought to be the first U.S. fashion show, aimed at attracting middle-class women. By 1910, many large department stores were hosting their own shows, likely inspired by the “fashion parades” in couture salons. These parades boosted store status and promotion. By the 1920s, fashion shows were common across the country, often staged in store restaurants during lunch or teatime. They were more theatrical than today’s shows, built around a single theme with a narrative commentary.

On July 19, 1943, the first “fashion week”—New York Fashion Week—was held to give buyers alternatives to French fashion during World War II, when travel to Paris was impossible. Shows became hugely popular, drawing crowds in the thousands, so large that New York stores in the 1950s needed licenses to use live models. Until 1994, shows took place in various locations like hotels or lofts. From 1994 to 2009, the event was held in a tent at Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library. Lincoln Center hosted from 2010 to 2015, followed by Clarkson Square in SoHo. After 2017, Clarkson Square was dropped for a decentralized format.

**Sustainability** Before mainstream fashion events embraced sustainable fashion, brands like Patagonia practiced it by designing garments from recycled materials. The Copenhagen Fashion Summit was established in 2009 to address social and environmental issues in the industry. Designers were urged to reduce the number of collections per year in favor of more durable garments that last longer and create less waste. Buyers were encouraged to purchase fewer, longer-lasting pieces. These informal efforts support a circular economy.

In 2014, the Connect4Climate trust fund, owned by the World Bank Group, financed the “Sustainability Dialogues in the Design Industry” initiative at Milan Fashion Week to create opportunities for emerging designers. At London Fashion Week in 2017, Vivienne Westwood and the Mayor of London launched the “Fashion Switch” initiative to help UK brands transition to renewable energy. In Asia, mindful fashion and conscious labels were promoted at Lakme Fashion Week 2018. Connect4Climate also introduced “X-Ray Fashion,” a virtual reality experience exploring the link between climate change and the fashion industry. The following year, brands like H&M, Burberry, and Zara followed Patagonia’s lead and began similar practices.