Fashion Week for Dummies: from Milan to London to New York and Paris

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What is Fashion Week?

 It seems like a dumb question at surface level, but truthfully a lot of people don’t know much about it. Of course, people hear about it in the media, as countless Instagram photos flood their feeds, but I don’t think that people truly understand the difference of locations, the designers chosen, and overall the actual purpose of Fashion Week. So The Edge is here to quickly and clearly break it down:

Fashion Week is a weeklong event where runways are filled with the newest and upcoming fashion collections from famous fashion designers, brands, and houses. Entirely, the purpose of Fashion Week is to spark attention within the media and also display their next collection to any potential buyers. 

Where is Fashion Week? 

The most notable Fashion Weeks are held in the “Big 4”: Milan, London, New York, and Paris. The reason behind hosting this event in four different cities is because these locations have been known as the major fashion capitals of the world for centuries.  

When Is Fashion Week?

Since there are four different locations, there’s a variety of different timings for Fashion Week. Most often, Fashion Weeks happens semi-annually with one show per location around February and another show per location around September. Each fashion showcase event lasts approximately one week.  

Invites to Fashion Week

So now that we know what it is, where it is, and when it is - how do we get invited? There are tons of ways to attend a Fashion Week show. Some shows offer tickets to the public, but most are invites only. For the super famous and more well-known designers, their shows are usually exclusive invites only and their seating charts are strategically planned. The extended invites are most often extended to celebrities, influencers, and fashion editors in order to attract media coverage and attention, but there are other ways to attend. 

There are a handful of Fashion Week events that are open to the public, it just takes a bit of research and planning. A lot of Fashion Week websites cater to searching for these open events, but it’s important to note that hotels near the venues will be booked and extremely pricey, so you’ll want to do some prior research. As for the option of purchasing Fashion Week tickets, since the events are highly reputable and exclusive, they come at ranging prices and are often on a waitlist. Some Fashion Week tickets offer exclusive experiences such as pre-event hospitality or post-show meet and greets. Seating is limited, so you’ll want to make sure you’re buying your ticket at the first opportunity! 

The Fashion at Fashion Week

As stated earlier, the ultimate purpose of Fashion Week is to promote the upcoming collections from fashion designers. By way of showing what’s to expect in the next season for every designer and brand, there’s a lot of versatility in Fashion Week. Fashion Week offers us to get a sneak peek at how each designer is perceiving their own spin on the approaching trends for their presented collection.

Designers spend a lot of time planning their presentations of their newest collections for Fashion Week. From guest lists to venue coordinations, every decision needs to be made perfectly. Usually, designers take the extravagant and elaborate route in order to stand out to their audience. It’s a work of art, truly, when it comes to the clothing on the models as well as the runway setup. 

Usually, there are around 40 looks per show and each look is presented in an over-the-top form. Of course, these dramatic outfits aren’t always what ends up offered in stores since it’s altered to a more modified and actual outfit that someone would wear. Designers want to leave a lasting impression on the audience, so even if they are showcasing something as simple as a white tank top, you’ll be sure to see it paired with funky pants and excessive jewelry to exemplify the designer’s artistic expression. 

Now that you’re a Fashion Week expert, share your favorite looks from the runways with us @theedgemag!

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