About: New York Fashion Week is held every year in September to showcase the upcoming fall and summer trends. While this event has a large platform today it has come a long way. Scroll to see the eventful growth and development through one of the biggest fashion events.
In the 1940s Paris dominated the fashion industry having countries around the world attending their events. When World War II struck travel to and from Paris was almost impossible, in response Elenore Lambert, a publicist for New York Dress Institute, started “Press Week” in 1943. Only the press was invited to these events and buyers had to schedule private showrooms to see the collections. The amount of publicity from these events gave American designers credibility in the fashion industry, with names like Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren, finally competing with French designs.
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The Council of Fashion Designers, created by Lambert, was founded in 1962, their goal was to encourage the American design impact of the rest of the fashion world. As Press Week grew more people were being invited such as Bianca Jagger and Liz Minnelli, witnessing Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress.
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With America creating its path in fashion, the partial focus was able to shift to the everyday woman with 1985’s “Seven Easy Pieces for Streamlined, Modern Women’ by Donna Karan.
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The 2000s were an eventful ten years for the show being sold three times, new locations, and many more designers. 2001 Press Week was sold to IMG and renamed New York Fashion Week, also being the first year the show was canceled due to the September 11th terrorist attacks. The event still schedules around 9/11 ensuring that shows co not start on the anniversary. Olympus became a sponsor of the show in 2004 and sold to Mercedes Benz in 2007 bringing designers such as Jason Wu, Rudarte, and the house hold name Alexander Wang.
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1951 marked the 16th anniversary of Press Week and the first year the event was named “Press Week of New York” dedicating it to an annual event.
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Andy Warhol commented saying Press Week of New York was “the art form of the 1970s.”
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While the credibility of American design grew the event was still being held in various locations up until the accident of 1991 when ceiling tiles fell during a Michael Kors show. The same year they set a standard location in Bryant Park in large white tents.
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Byant Park tents lasted for 10 years until turmoil with neighboring parks causing the move to Lincoln Center holding up to 300 shows. Today New York Fashion Week is held at the Moynihan Station and Clarkson Square skylights.
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