The New York Fashion Week is part of the fashion marathon that covers four major fashion centres of the world. The other three are Paris, London and Milan. New York was the setting of the world’s first fashion week in 1943. The intention was to take the attention away from the French, as those in the industry were not able to make the trip to Paris due to the war.
Since 1994 the event has been held in Bryant Park, in a group of huge marquees. Those who attend have to be invited, and invitations are limited to industry professionals and celebrities. The show moved to Damrosch Park at the Lincoln Centre in 2010.
The 2009 event saw the designers introduce a series of cost-cutting measures due to the economic climate. These measures included staging smaller shows and displaying clothes on mannequins instead of using catwalk models.
There are several fashion weeks held in New York. These are to showcase autumn/winter collections, spring/summer collections and ready-to-wear collections. The collections presented during the February week suggest that menswear for women is going to be a popular look. One of the most popular shows was that presented by Victoria Beckham. Her fourth dress collection met with the critics’ approval. It consisted of elegant tailoring and attention to detail, silencing those who have dismissed her attempts to recreate herself as a fashion designer.
The show has its own website which details the designers and the shows which are taking part.