The Backstage of Fashion Weeks

Year after year, various designers present their creations to the world, turning fashion weeks into ideal showcases where each proposal comes to life on the runway. But what is the origin of these Haute Couture events?

In 1943, at the height of World War II, the first New York Fashion Week was held to divert attention from the then booming French fashion. This was precisely because, in the context of the international conflict, textile workers could not travel to the city of light. This meant "American Fashion Independence" because for several decades American designers had had French designers as the main reference for their inspiration. This since in 1914, the editor of Vogue at the time, Edna Woolamn Chase, proposed to develop activities to show the designs of military uniforms to the upper class, and thus create trends in clothing for all.

That's when Eleanor Lambert, the director of the Press Institute, held Press Week to showcase the collections of American designers.

She succeeded for the first time in bringing the American press together in one place. This event took place at the Plaza Hotel in the ballroom. At the end of the daily agency, and during 7 days, Eleanor invited the press to shows of the stature of Broadway and to dinners with the creatives and designers.

The tradition in Paris was focus on the media, specifically journalists, visited the designers' showrooms to learn more about each of the proposals of their collections.

However, Lambert implemented something new for that moment, organized some parades and gave out photos of each of the garments that were shown during the parade. But what most caught the journalists' attention was that the catwalks were raised to eye level.

Fashion weeks, in each of their versions, have become international events, and in each season of the year the eyes of the world turn to these cities to learn about the trends that are today's lifestyles. Nowadays, digitalization is part of them, making the participation in a fashion show immediate only thanks to a click. As a consequence, luxury and fashion brands must reinvent themselves while preserving their heritage to continue offering the unique experience of a Haute couture runway.