New York Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is one of the prestigious international fashion events. As one of the fashion capitals of the world (Paris, Milan, and London being the other three), a lot of attention of the fashion industry, the media, and the press centers on this event. The official name of New York Fashion Week is presently Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

New York Fashion Week – Origin

The New York Fashion Week originated as the first organized fashion week of the world in the year 1943. The event was named Press Week, by fashion publicist Eleanor Lamber. It looked to divert the attention of the elite classes away from French fashion during the Second World War, when the people belonging to the fashion industry were unable to move to Paris to watch the fashion shows. At the same time, the Press Week was also hosted to display the collections of American designers for fashion journalists.

The first showcase of Press Week was a huge success, so much so that international fashion magazines like Vogue, which were previously flooded with French designs, now began to shift their attention towards American fashion.

The production of New York Fashion Week is handled by 7th on Sixth. It is a body that was formed in the year 1993 by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. 8 years later, the responsibility of hosting of the event was taken over by a lifestyle, sports marketing, and an international event management firm named IMG.

The sponsorship of NY Fashion Week has been handled by various companies. For some time in the past, it was called Olympus Fashion Week. Presently, it is named after its chief sponsor Mercedes-Benz.

New York Fashion Week – The venue and occasion

NYFW is held at 42nd and 6th Bryant Park, which is a park covering 8 acres. The place is temporarily transformed into a fashion arena with huge (about 12,000 square feet), air-conditioned tents where the designers exhibit their collections. Each of these tents contain runway, seating arrangements for the guests, backstage for helping the participants to get ready, and equipments for lighting and sound. However, some of the fashion designers opt to showcase their collections in showrooms or other off-site venues during the course of the week.

Like other fashion weeks, NYFW is held biannually – the fall/winter collections and the spring/summer collections that are shown in the months of February and September respectively. Celebrities, socialites, journalists, and buyers attended the shows with great intent and enthusiasm. Entry in this high-profile event is allowed only to the invitees.

But the people who are the most benefited through this event are the designers, a majority of whom are Americans. These include names such as Oscar de la Renta and Zac Posen. The music and the lightning set the mood for these events. The presence of the international media and the world press keep the fashion devotees from all over the world updated about the latest collections and fashion trends, as exhibited at the New York Fashion Week. The NYFW is a celebration of fashion as far as the fashionistas are concerned.

If you want to get more information on Fashion, we suggest that you browse our section on, Fashion Events.

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