Fashion week facts for kids

Karmen Pedaru modeling for Michael Kors, Spring/Summer New York Fashion Week, 2013

A fashion week is a special event in the fashion world. It usually lasts about a week. During this time, fashion designers and brands show off their newest clothing collections. They do this through exciting fashion shows on a runway. Buyers and the media watch these shows. This helps set the fashion trends for the upcoming seasons.

The most famous fashion weeks happen in the world's top fashion cities. These are New York City, London, Milan, and Paris. People often call them the "Big Four." Fashion week started in Paris in the late 1800s. Later, it spread to New York, Milan, and London. What began as a way to sell clothes became a huge, well-known event. In the 2000s, ideas about being eco-friendly became important at fashion weeks.

Today, fashion weeks are changing. They now have "see now, buy-now" shows. This means you can buy clothes right after seeing them. Event organizers are also trying to make fashion weeks more sustainable. They suggest combining shows for different seasons or for men and women. This helps reduce the carbon pollution from these events.

The Story of Fashion Week
- Fashion and Being Green
All About Fashion Weeks
See also

The Story of Fashion Week

The idea of showing seasonal clothing collections started a long time ago. One of the first designers to do this was Charles Frederick Worth in the late 1800s. In Paris, marketers used to hire women to wear fancy clothes. These women would walk around public places like racetracks. These "fashion parades" slowly became social events. In France, fashion shows are still called "défilés de mode." This means "fashion parades."

The first Paris Fashion Week happened thanks to designer Paul Poiret. He was known as the "King of Fashion" in the early 1900s. Poiret wanted to show his designs on real people moving around. He decided to mix parties with shopping. He threw many fancy events where guests wore his designs. Over time, these shows became smaller and more private. Fashion houses started showing their collections to only a few special clients. Back then, photographers were not allowed. This was to stop others from copying the designs.

The official Paris Fashion Week began in 1973. It was organized by the Fédération Française de la Couture. The first show was a famous event called The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show. It was a competition between top French and American designers.

In America, the first fashion show was in 1903. A store in Manhattan called Ehrich Brothers held it. They wanted to attract middle-class women to their shop. By 1910, many big department stores had their own shows. American stores likely got the idea from the "fashion parades" in Paris. These shows helped stores become more popular and important. By the 1920s, fashion shows were common across the country. They were often held in store restaurants during lunch. These shows were more like plays than today's shows. They had a theme and a story told by a narrator.

The very first "fashion week" was New York Fashion Week. It started on July 19, 1943. It was created to give buyers other options besides French fashion. This was during World War II, when people in fashion could not travel to Paris. Fashion shows became very popular. Thousands of people came to see them. In the 1950s, New York stores even needed a special license to have live models. Until 1994, shows were held in many different places. From 1994 to 2009, they were in a tent at Bryant Park. Then, from 2010 to 2015, they moved to Lincoln Center. After that, they moved to Clarkson Square in SoHo.

Fashion and Being Green

Before fashion weeks started caring about being green, some brands already did. For example, Patagonia made clothes from recycled materials. In 2009, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit started. It was a meeting to talk about social and environmental problems in fashion. Designers were asked to make fewer collections each year. Instead, they should make clothes that last longer. This helps reduce waste. Buyers were also told to buy fewer, more durable items. These ideas help create a circular economy. This means things are reused and recycled.

In 2014, a group called Connect4Climate helped Milan Fashion Week. They supported young designers who wanted to be sustainable. At London Fashion Week in 2017, Vivienne Westwood and the Mayor of London started "Fashion Switch." This helped UK brands use clean, renewable energy. In Asia, Lakme Fashion Week promoted eco-friendly designers in 2018. Connect4Climate also launched "X-Ray Fashion." This was a virtual reality experience about fashion and climate change. The next year, big brands like H&M, Burberry, and Zara started using sustainable materials.

In 2019, new plans like the "Fashion Pact" were made. These plans set goals for the fashion industry. They aimed for green energy, better material use, and modern supply chains. All this was to lower carbon pollution. At London Fashion Week, the British Fashion Council showed new sustainable brands. They promoted upcycling (making new things from old) and remanufacturing (making new products from used ones). Famous brands like Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana also showed sustainable designs in 2020. That same year, Gabriella Hearst held New York Fashion Week’s first carbon neutral show. This meant she balanced out any pollution caused. She used local food and booked models already in the area. In May, designer Richard Marlone won an award for his green ideas. Lakme Fashion Week also started a challenge for sustainable design in India.

Since 2021, groups have protested at fashion weeks. They want better environmental and worker protections. Copenhagen Fashion Week 2023 set 18 strict rules for brands. For example, seat cards had to be recyclable. Fur was banned, and designs had to use 50% recycled material. These rules are a step towards fully sustainable fashion.

All About Fashion Weeks

There are many important fashion weeks around the world. But only four are known as the "Big Four." These are New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Paris started its couture shows in 1945. Milan Fashion Week began in 1958. Paris Fashion Week became more organized in 1973. London Fashion Week started in 1984. These groups still run the main shows. But there are also other independent events in these cities. Other notable fashion weeks happen in Copenhagen, Berlin, Madrid, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

When Do They Happen?

The "Big Four" fashion weeks happen twice a year. They are held in the major fashion cities. For example, New York Fashion Week is usually in February. London, Milan, and Paris follow in February and March.

In the past, fashion weeks were held many months before the actual season. This gave media and buyers time to see the designs. In February and March, designers showed their autumn and winter clothes. In September and October, they showed their spring and summer collections.

This timing was for a slower "retail cycle." It gave stores time to buy and market the new designs. But now, customers want things faster. So, the retail cycle has sped up. Because of this, designers started doing "in-season shows" in 2016.

See Now, Buy Now

In recent years, shows have started to feature clothes that you can buy right away. You can buy them online or in stores. This is called "see now, buy now." Sometimes, you can even click on a video during the show to buy an item. Brands like Tom Ford and Tommy Hilfiger have used this idea. Tommy Hilfiger said this concept was very new and exciting. However, the French Federation of Fashion has not yet fully adopted it. "See now, buy now" also helps fight "fast fashion." Fast fashion stores quickly copy runway designs and sell them cheaply.

How Fashion Weeks Affect the Planet

Since fashion weeks began, they have caused a lot of carbon pollution. About 241,000 tons of CO2 are released each year from people traveling to the "Big Four" shows. Buyers and sellers create pollution from flying, staying in hotels, and driving. New York Fashion Week alone causes 37% of this pollution. The average person's carbon footprint is much smaller than a fashion buyer's. A buyer might travel about 19,213 km (11,938 miles) every year. Flying in business class creates even more CO2 per person.

Male and female models on runway at a fashion show in Washington, D.C., February 2017

It's hard to ask guests to fly economy or share rooms. But paper invitations and plastic water bottles are now mostly gone from events. Organizers are also trying to combine all collections for one season. They are also showing men's and women's wear at the same event. They are even creating fashion "districts" in cities like New York. This helps reduce traffic congestion during fashion week. Making fashion week more sustainable helps the whole fashion industry. It shows what's important and what customers want.