A Brief History of NYFW
To kick off the start of New York Fashion Week (NYFW), I thought it would be appropriate to take a walk down memory lane. Although it’s become popular knowledge that fashion week occurs during February (fall shows) and September (spring shows), some people may not be aware of its origins, specifically NYFW. For example, why is called ‘fashion week’ and who decided the schedule for designers to showcase their fall/winter (F/W) and spring/summer (S/S) shows? If you’ve been curious about these questions among others, I’ve rounded up a brief breakdown of NYFW’s history.
NYFw origins
Title: Wedding dress
Design House: House of Worth (French, 1858–1956)
Date: 1896
Culture: French
Medium: silk, pearl
Credit Line: Gift of Miss Agnes Miles Carpenter, 1941
Accession Number: C.I.41.14.1
Before it was known as fashion week, the seasonal collections were called “salon shows” and were popularized in Europe by designer Charles Frederick Worth (3). Due to their influential nature, department shows in America began following suit, with the Ehrich Brothers (4) holding the first show in 190.3. Although journalists and publicists would travel to Paris to view designer collections, the Nazi occupation during World War II in 1943 made this impossible.
Instead of allowing this to halt the showing of
designer collections, fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert (2) decided to being elevating American designers. She decided to call the seasonal shows “Fashion Press Week” and “Press Week” (1) and, eventually, her organization, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) began calling them “7th on Sixth” (1) under Fern Mallis’ direction in 1993. By 2007, Mercedez-Benz became the title sponsor - hence the shows being called “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.”
At this time, NYFW is organized by numerous producers.
Stay tuned for more NYFW coverage!
sources
History of Fashion Week. Fashion Week Online®. (2022, December 16). https://fashionweekonline.com/history-of-fashion-week
Eleanor Lambert: Empress of Seventh Avenue. Home. (2022, May 26). https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/eleanor-lambert.php
Metmuseum.org. (n.d.). https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wrth/hd_wrth.htm
Stanton, A. (2023, January 26). Fashion week's bold history-and uncertain future. The Good Trade. https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fashion-week-history/
