February 1, 2025 • 39 mins
This episode takes a deep dive into the captivating history and dynamics of Fashion Week, exploring its evolution from exclusive shows in the 19th century to its modern global presence. We discuss the origins, the role of influencers, and the ongoing challenges of exclusivity within the fashion industry.
• Overview of Fashion Week origins and evolution
• Influence of the Industrial Revolution on fashion
• The role of Charles Frederick Worth in establishing fashion shows
• The significance of Press Week in the U.S. and the birth of New York Fashion Week
• The exclusivity and social dynamics of Fashion Week today
• Impact of influencers on modern fashion narratives
• Future considerations for inclusivity in Fashion Week events
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi guys and welcome to Magnifique, your favorite
fashion week analysis podcast.
I'm your host, gabrielle, andtoday we talk about the history
of fashion week.
You know, really, what is itexactly?
We dive headfirst, we diveheadfirst and we learn about it
(00:21):
all.
Headfirst and we learn about itall.
Fashion Week is a biannualfashion wonderland event taking
off globally, but most notablyin New York City, london, paris
and Milan the big four, as theycall it.
It's a time for holding spacein our calendars.
(00:43):
In February and September,fashion Week is a seven to nine
day event where designers cometogether and host their upcoming
design seasons.
I found myself particularlyinterested in this topic as the
2025 Fashion Weeks, or FashionMonth rather, is upon us.
(01:06):
I found myself realizing that Iknow Fashion Week exists and
for whom, but how do we get hereand how might I one day get
there and by there I mean into aFashion Week show.
Please, please, I'm begging you, please invite me to your show,
please, please, please.
(01:27):
Anyway, in this episode, we'lldiscuss everything from the
origins of showing off yourlatest designs to the invitation
process and, yada, yada,everything in between.
You get the gist.
But first, haute Couture Weekwas this week, and by this week,
I mean the 27th through the31st.
(01:48):
Let's talk about it because Ihave been keeping up with it.
Right now it's the 30th.
Yeah, I'm recording this alittle too close to the deadline
, but hey, one thing about me isI will always make a deadline.
So I want to talk about myfavorite Haute Couture looks.
Obviously, you can't see this,but maybe one day you will be
(02:11):
who's to say.
Really, I just wanted to talkabout my favorite designers that
I've seen so far.
Um, I've been seeing a lot ofthe color purple and I do love
that.
I called it last year.
Purple is the new color, purpleis the it color.
Purple was particularly mycolor and, if anything, whenever
(02:32):
I like something, I just assumethat everybody likes it and
that it's going to be trending.
I knew that purple would betrending, so no surprises there.
What else?
I found myself absolutelyenamored by Armani Privé.
Uh, this I'm.
(02:55):
I have my iPad next to mebecause I wanted to be able to
look at the looks while Idiscussed them.
And I'm so sorry that you can'tlook at the looks while we
discuss them, but maybe, maybeillegally pull up your phone
while you're driving and look atthese looks, because they are
stunning, fabulous, amazing,dare I say, delicious, stunning.
(03:15):
I'm so obsessed.
So that was someone who reallytook me by surprise, mainly
because I've never watched acouture fashion week in real
time.
I've always looked back afterthe fact and I really didn't
understand what was happening,to be completely honest.
But this year I'm builtdifferent and I'm her and I am
(03:38):
that girl.
So I know everything nowbecause I researched it for this
episode.
So those are my thoughts oncouture week.
Seeing a lot of capes If youknow anything about me, I'm a
sucker for a cape.
Victor and Rolf um, I actuallydid like a couple of their looks
.
A lot of it was meh, but I havetwo photos saved.
(04:00):
They use the same color palettefor the whole look.
I don't know if that's typicalfor Victor and Rolf.
Like I said and like you'veheard in the intro episode,
we're fashion industry noobs.
So those are my thoughts andopinions.
Let's talk about Fashion Week.
Let's talk about the origin.
(04:21):
So where did the idea ofparading new designs for people
to ooh and ah at come from?
It's really impossible to say.
However, it's actually notimpossible to say the industrial
revolution made way for tons offashion technological
advancements, from the sewingmachine and synthetic dyes, just
(04:42):
to name a couple.
They made fashion so much moreaccessible to lower class people
, and more accessibility meanspeople have to one-up each other
.
People are just booming out allthese new designs.
These innovations enableddesigners to diversify their
clothing designs and giving arise to fashion as an art form.
(05:03):
Thus the proliferation ofvarious designs.
Also came competition Duringthe late 1800s.
We know the 1800s fondly onthis podcast.
Everywhere, every designer,every brand starts in the 1800s.
So we are so familiar and lovethe 1800s, love them.
(05:29):
During the late 1800s,businesses began employing
models to wear their clothingand meander around populated
areas like racetracks, hopingthe masses and mass media, while
we're at it, would notice.
Shop owners in Paris and Londonwere among the first to send
beautiful young women dressed inthese samples to those horse
(05:53):
race tracks, or perhaps operapremieres and the Boys' Des
Boulognes I should have googledthat to pronounce it, but who
cares when socialites took theirmorning strolls?
It was thought that organizinga social event would show off
(06:14):
their latest couture designs andgain brand exposure, even in
the late 1800s.
It's all about capitalism.
It's all about capitalism.
So historians debate who trulypopularized such events, though
many credit English fashiondesigner, charles Frederick
Worth.
In the late 1800s-1860s, charlesFrederick Worth, the founder of
(06:44):
House of Worth and foundingfather of haute couture,
introduced the concept of sewingbrand labels into clothing and
offering a wide range of apparel.
Before this, fashion houses andshops typically specialized in
specific wardrobes, and Worthalso founded the Chambre
Syndicale de la Haute Couture in1868, so essentially patenting
(07:08):
the term Haute Couture.
Charles Worth introduced theidea of holding fashion shows
for his clients four times ayear.
At these shows, the modelsfirst began to walk down the
runway in front of a largeaudience, who then selected
their favorite designs, whichwere then launched into
production.
Other fashion houses beganorganizing their own shows
(07:32):
following the lead of CharlesWorth.
Another big name in the fashionweek history game is Lucy
Christina, aka Lady Duff Gordon.
Her shows were very popular atthe turn of the 19th century and
the start of the 20th century.
Also, paul Poiret, whotransformed Walking Down the
(07:53):
Runway into colorful showsresembling that of theatrical
performances.
At the turn of the 20th century,fashion shows were now being
held beyond Europe's borders,such that the first fashion show
in the US occurred in 1903 atEhrlich Brothers Department
(08:14):
Stores in New York City.
Shows back then wereinvitation-only and photography
was strictly prohibited for fearof brands and designers copying
each other's works.
In 1911, the show titled theThousand and Second Night, a
Persian Celebration.
(08:35):
This show made global headlines, and then, in the 1920s and 30s
, the fashion show concept hadbecome an integral part in
social life, the fashionindustry, creative expression as
a whole.
It really intertwined itself inAmerican culture.
Designers of the time made fewattempts to unite under one show
(09:00):
.
That was until 1943, whenAmerican journalist Eleanor
Lambert organized Press Week inNew York to draw public and
fashion media's attention toAmerican designers.
This New York event isconsidered the first ever
Fashion Week, although it wouldremain named Press Week until
(09:24):
2001.
But anywho, eleanor Lambertconsolidated all fashion shows
in the city into one single megaevent called Fashion Press Week
.
Over time it took shape intothe fashion week that we know
and love today.
(09:52):
Fashion weeks run consecutivelyin major style capitals around
the world, starting in New York,starting February 3rd in New
York, to be exact.
So New York Fashion Week ends,london picks right back up, then
London ends, milan picks up,culminating altogether in Paris.
Now these four fashion weeksare called the big four, and
just because they are thebiggest, the most transformative
, most influential, you'll seemost of the big names here.
(10:15):
That's not to say, though, thatfashion week doesn't occur
elsewhere.
Many cities all across theglobe indulge in a little
fashion week moment.
Now, fashion week doesn't havean official board or council
that officially decides who sitsat the fashion week table, in
(10:38):
that it makes official slotshard to come by for new
designers to score these limitedspots and call dibs on a time
slot.
Emeritus designers basicallyshow every season, so people
plan for it and know that theirline are coming, so they make
(10:59):
room.
The other issue is budget.
Not every designer can affordan elaborate show at an
expensive venue, so it reallyjust comes down to budget
constraints and inaccessibilityto be able to show at these
weeks, which, okay, makes sense.
I'd prefer quality overquantity.
(11:22):
I don't want just anybody to beable to show at these weeks.
But I also have a lot ofthoughts on Fashion Week as a
whole that I'll get into at theend.
Really just the exclusivity ofit, yada, yada.
Anyway, different designersshow in different cities all
over the world.
Native New Yorker Michael Korsshows in his home city, while
(11:42):
Paris-based British designerStella McCartney and French
Chanel shows at Paris FashionWeek.
So Eleanor Lambert coined theconcept, but Giovanni Battista
Giorgini, a buyer of Italiancollections, coined the term
Fashion Week for his process,for his project.
(12:06):
In 1951, he held a series ofshows at the Palazzo Pitti in
Florence, marking the beginningof Fashion Weeks in Italy.
Paris Fashion Week has beenorganized by the Federation of
Haute Couture, which is thesuccessor of Worth Syndicate
Charles Frederick Worth, to justremind you of 10 minutes prior.
(12:28):
Paris has the most exclusiveFashion Week, participation
limited to Federation membersonly, and the Federation has a
lot of strict guidelines thatyou must follow in order to be
able to show.
The federation currently houses15 members, ever-changing.
(12:48):
It just depends on who'smeeting these criterias.
But you'll notice that Chanel,dior Givenchy, jean-paul
Gaultier and Maisa Margiela theyhave been in this federation
for a long time and the looksthat I was talking about in the
beginning of this episode, thatwas this is haute couture week.
So you have to meet a lot ofguidelines to be able to show.
(13:11):
There I was.
I am going to make a littleyoutube short of the history of
haute couture, just becausethere's not not enough
information to warrant a fullpod.
I really think I canconsolidate it into like three
minutes.
So you want a mini-sode?
Go to my YouTube.
I've been sorry we're ramblingand then we'll get back to
(13:35):
fashion week, but I've beenposting a lot more on my YouTube
because, after the little stuntTikTok pulled, I decided you
know what?
I need a superiority complex.
I'm deleting TikTok while I'mat it, mark Zuckerberg, you're
on the chopping block too.
I deleted all my meta accountsand then I never had X.
(13:55):
Well, I did, but it was calledTwitter then, and once Elon came
in, I said no, I'm not lettinga loser tell me what to do.
So I deleted that a while ago.
So now I don't have any socialmedia.
Well, except blue sky.
I really do like blue sky.
Anyway, all that to say, I nowhold a superiority complex over
not being in the loop, andsomeone just told me today that
(14:17):
Louis Tomlinson was at ZaynMalik's concert and they left
together and they knew thatbecause of TikTok, and now I'm
just feeling a lot of FOMO.
So that is something that I'mhaving to deal with is just
being like left out ofeverything.
But I actually think it's forthe better, because my brain
does hold on to things for awhile and being in the loop for
(14:38):
too long, I might jump off abridge.
Anyway, foreign fashion housescan participate as a guest or
correspondent members.
London designers were known forprotesting any kind of
syndicates and valuing theirindependence, so they conceded
from the Federation in 1984, andsince then London Fashion Week
(14:59):
has become one of the brightestcelebrations of its time.
One thing about fashion week isthat shows rarely, if ever,
start on time.
On average they're like 20 to40 minutes late, just sitting
around waiting with the actualrunway part averaging 30 to 40
(15:21):
looks shown.
Now I said most will not starton time, but mark Marc Jacobs is
the fabulous exception.
He's very punctual.
If his show starts at seven, itis starting at seven.
The first model is walking outat seven.
I adore Marc Jacobs.
You know we love Marc Jacobs onthis pod.
(15:42):
I've gushed about him manytimes but I still haven't given
him his own episode.
So that's curious.
But I can't next month becauseit's Women's History Month.
So sorry, marc Jacobs, maybewe'll see you in April.
Okay, the runway show should beseen as a form of artistic
expression from the designer'sstandpoint.
(16:04):
So that means you'll seeexaggerated, more dramatic
versions of the products thatwill be not sent to the stores.
So you may notice that anethereal dress is completely
see-through.
On the one way, you'll see anip all over the place, but it's
likely that when it goes tostores that they'll incorporate
(16:26):
a modest slip, so you will begood.
Stores that they'll incorporatea modest slip, so you will be
good.
There are two ways a designermight show off their looks
during fashion week.
One is the runway show.
Production, which is the modelwalks out to show the audience
the fit, give a cute little poseand continue on their merry way
.
The other is a presentationsetup where the models basically
(16:48):
double as mannequins.
The other is a presentationsetup where the models basically
double as mannequins, standingslash, posing in some sort of
themed vignette.
It allows guests to get aclose-up look of the collection.
Now, everyone who goes toFashion Week must be invited,
unless it's anopen-to-the-public event.
But that is few and far between.
(17:09):
So editors, retail store buyers, fashion bloggers, influencers,
friends or clients of thedesigners and famous people
Celebrities in the front row areeither there to support their
designer friends or, and mostlikely, they are present to
promote the variant.
(17:29):
Twice a year, the fashionindustry's biggest names show
their latest trendsetters forthe world to marvel at.
The gist of Fashion Week isthat it's a week-long fashion
show that occurs across theglobe, bringing together fashion
and business in one harmoniouspresentation.
(17:51):
Now let's understand more bydissecting the concept of New
York Fashion Week.
Modern-day Fashion Week as aconcept was created in 1943,
dubbed Pressed Week and held atthe Plaza Hotel.
Press director of the New YorkDress Institute, eleanor Lambert
, is the mind behind the week.
It was idealized during theGerman occupation of France.
(18:13):
Fashion insiders were unable togo to Paris at the time.
Thus Press Week was createdwith the intent of attracting
fashion industry's attentionaway from French culture,
because at this time France wasat the top of the fashion world,
leaving little baby crumbs forthe rest of the attention and
(18:35):
the American designers.
So she's meant to showcaseAmerican designers for fashion
journalists who had otherwiseneglected US fashion innovations
.
New York shows were consolidatedto a single location in 1993,
and in 1994, the Runways foundtheir first home at Bryant Park,
(18:57):
conveniently located in theGarment District.
Eventually, the shows outgrewthe iconic midtown grassy
greenness and moved over toDomrush Park in Lincoln Center
in 2010.
There was a brief moment inhistory where New York Fashion
Week was called 7th on 6th,after the 7th on 6th event
(19:18):
management company In 2001, 7thon 6th was sold to IMG and in
2004, olympus became the titlesponsor and the events were
known as Olympus Fashion Week.
In 2007, mercedes-benz becamethe official title sponsor and
(19:41):
the events became known asMercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
Today, img's shows are shown asNew York Fashion Week the shows
and they represent roughly athird of the total New York
Fashion Week schedules.
Img is the official organizingbody that runs the shows and
(20:02):
presents at the Lincoln Center,and Mercedes-Benz has been the
official sponsor since 2009.
Ben's has yet been the officialsponsor since 2009.
I understand that.
That was a lot of titles anddates.
It made sense to me.
It does make sense to me.
I'm here.
I'm with it, but listen to itagain if it was a little bit
confusing.
(20:24):
The shows take place inreal-life tents, since the raw
space is an outdoor park.
Take place in real-life tents,since the raw space is an
outdoor park.
Albeit superlue and expansivestructures compete with heating,
air or air conditioning.
Designers like Donna Karan,tommy Hilfiger and Rebecca
Minkoff traditionally show atofficial Mercedes-Benz fashion
(20:46):
weeks or the tents, thoughshowing in the tents is not a
requirement.
Alexander Wang has moved hershows out of the tent and showed
in Brooklyn on a couple ofoccasions.
Though you will need to fundthe secondary location yourself.
That is kind of a barrier toentry if you don't want to show
(21:07):
in the tents.
The event is a physicallyenclosed space that only a
select few are allowed to enter,rather than it open to the
public exhibit, like the AlleyDeal Home or Chelsea Flower Shop
.
The dividing line between insideand outside is not only very
strong drawn, but mirrors andreproduces the boundaries that
(21:31):
exist around the wider field offashion.
You know this, you know that.
I believe this.
I think that fashion is a veryexclusive industry and elitist.
I'll say it, I will stand myground on that.
So I'll say it, I will stand myground on that.
(21:55):
So Fashion Week as a whole is arather elitist event.
That's just my two cents, but Iwill continue to look at all of
the looks because I love themvery much.
Thank you, thank you.
The economic impact of New YorkFashion Week upon New York City
was estimated to be about $887million in 2016.
So just imagine inflation,grandiose spending habits, just
(22:19):
really bump that up to a couplebill and we're good.
2025's main Fashion Week hubwill be the scarlet lee building
in chelsea this year.
So let's talk about londonfashion week.
I will admit london and milanaren't as expansive as new york.
Um, just due to, I didn't findmuch.
(22:43):
London fashion week was thefirst-speaking series of events
to use the term Fashion Week,beginning in 1984, originally
organized by the French FashionCouncil, who still organizes the
event today.
An instance of the field offashion materialized or reified,
(23:13):
physically realized orobjectified, thus bringing
together the field participantsinto one speciality.
The catwalk theater kind ofmaps out the positions and
relationships in which fashioncapital are enacted.
As part of the performance thatFashion Week as a whole has on
society, it's responsible formaking marketing and retailing
(23:36):
clothing.
British fashion designersjostle for positions on the
international stage, with manyof them securing top positions
in French couture houses, forexample McQueen at Givenchy and
McCartney at Chloe in recentyears.
In the realm of publishing, keyinstitutions are established
(23:59):
players, such as London FashionWeek mirrors these hierarchical
relationships with the widerfield of fashion.
Now, I will admit that a lot ofwhat I just said came from a
scientific research articleabout the psychology of Fashion
Week, so I do apologize if thatwas a lot of big words.
(24:23):
Milan Fashion Week was foundedin 1985.
Most events are organized underthe auspice of the National
Chambers for Italian Fashion,and they were founded in 1958,
but some of the largest designhouses, such as Dolce Gabbana
and Gucci, show outside ofCameramoda Paris Fashion Week.
(24:47):
We are in the midst of the firstportion of Paris Fashion Week.
Paris Fashion Week was foundedin 1945, and this is two fashion
week events, two differentfashion weeks.
You have Haute Couture and thePr-a-porter Pret-a-porter is
just ready to wear.
So haute couture shows havebeen held in Paris since at
(25:07):
least 1945.
After the German occupation,people were kind of desperate to
hold on to some sort ofextravagance and creative
expression.
Thus haute couture week wasemerged, expression.
Thus Haute Couture Week wasemerged.
(25:28):
And when Chambre Syndicale de laHaute Couture required couture
houses to present a collectionof at least 35 runs to the press
to be considered haute couture,among other qualifications,
with both daytime and eveninglooks, I would just like to kind
of circle back to Couture Week2025, because it literally is
(25:48):
happening now as I speak andeverything is so breathtaking.
I will post my favorite lookson Blue Sky.
I don't know if I said this inthe beginning, but I am a girl
who loves capes, so any of thecape looks looks amazing.
I want 14 of them right now.
Yes, yes, ma'am Gimme.
The French Federation overseesthe main Paris Fashion Week
(26:12):
calendars and awardsaccreditations to those who are
allowed to show under thecouture guise guys.
All official Paris FashionWeeks are held by the FHCM.
All other events are said tooccur during Paris Fashion Week
but not officially affiliated.
(26:33):
Haute Couture gradually declinesin favor of off-the-rack and
ready-to-wear, and later runwayshows become more energetic.
We fortunately can still seeHaute Couture in some shows
today, but the shift in focus topractical clothing is very
evident.
This is my plea Please keepHaute Couture alive.
(26:53):
I love her very much and Iwould do anything for her.
I love the creative expression.
I love the extravagance.
I think they're much moreinteresting to look at than
ready-to-wear, and that's not tosay ready-to-wear is bad.
I and I'm sure many people willagree with me I love the
intricacies of Haute.
Paris took a while to join thebandwagon, but it held its first
(27:17):
ready-to-wear fashion week in1973 with the Battle of
Versailles fashion show.
The event was organized toraise funds for the restoration
of the palace's namesake.
Fashion press week wasinvitation only but eventually
allowed the press to take photosof the featured fashions.
Designers only have around 15minutes to make their designs
(27:37):
appeal to the audience, so theycome up with eye-catching, if
not extravagant, styles.
Most people would die for theopportunity to sit in the front
row of fashion shows filled withcelebs, a person who works in
or around the fashion industryor influencers.
The chance of finding yourselffront row if you're not
(28:00):
influential is pretty slim.
Celebrities are paid to attendfashion shows can vary widely if
they get paid at all, dependingon compensation with monetary
payment, while others mightreceive free clothing
accessories or other perks orother perks.
(28:26):
It's reported that Rihanna waspaid about $97,000 to attend
Karl Lagerfeld's show in 2012 inParis.
Bearing in mind that 2012 was11 years ago, so it's likely
that the price has tripled sincethen.
Not all celebrities are paid toattend fashion shows.
Many attend simply for exposure, networking opportunities or
out of genuine interest infashion.
I saw Meg Thee Stallion's lookfor a couple of the couture
(28:50):
shows.
She looks stunning, amazing,gorgeous.
I love Meg and Thee Stallion.
Industry shapers who get todecide what pieces of the
collection will be stocked instores.
Fashion buyers' presence atFashion Make is crucial.
Their mission is to discoverthe collections firsthand, to
see what are the standout pieces, important to get a feeling for
(29:13):
what the customers may love andsource inspiration for future
trends.
Fashion editors, writers andcolumnists report on the runway
by writing a review.
Fashion editors are the onesresponsible for designing what
goes on the pages of themagazines, kind of like Miss
Anna Wintour.
Seeing the collection allowsthem to spot brand pieces that
(29:36):
they could request later for aphoto shoot at the magazine.
Stylists who work at themagazine have similar tasks
during fashion week compared toones in the editor For
journalists.
Fashion shows represent news andthey constitute stories, while
they help buyers to understandthe designer's vision For PR.
Pr is the backbone of society,really, but PR professionals are
(30:03):
the ones who organize fashionshows and all of the associated
events, included press days,store openings, dinners and
cocktails and various socialgatherings.
They take care of day of theevent, from the idea of the day
of the event, from the idea ofthe day of the event to sending
invitations, choosing location,organizing the seating,
(30:27):
welcoming guests, taking care ofthe social profiles during the
event, in charge ofcommunicating with the media.
Really, they do it all.
Thank you, pr.
This reminds me of Samanthafrom Sex and the City.
She is a PR baddie and I wantto grow up to be Samantha.
Actually, I kind of like who Iam now, but Samantha is really
(30:49):
cool and I love her.
Important clients of the brandwho spend X amount of dollars
yearly might also be invited toshows.
Big spenders make them biginvestors to the brand's profit.
So as a way to repay them fortheir loyalty, they may be
invited to shows Again.
Famous people attend fashionshows, many of them with our
(31:13):
designers, muses, faces of thebrand or just friends.
Influencers are relatively newwhen we look at the history of
fashion week.
Traditionally, only fashionindustries, professionals and
famous people attended coutureevents and famous fashion shows.
But having influencers andcontent creators at fashion week
(31:36):
like I said, relatively newmovement.
Social media is a powerfulplatform where brands build
their businesses, an onlinepresence and many collaborate
with influencers to take a lotof pictures and film fashion
shows.
I've seen a lot of influencerswearing complimentary outfits
(31:58):
from the brand to create morepublicity for the brand and
increase awareness.
Unless you can bring value tothe brand, you probably won't
get invited to the show, whichis such a heart-crushing reality
.
But if you still want to get in, volunteering during Fashion
Week may be an easier way.
(32:19):
You won't probably actually getto see the whole show,
depending on your station, butthis experience will allow you
to live and breathe a bit of thefashion industry, to see the
collection by working backstageas a model's dresser.
Although Fashion Weeks arerather elitist events, some
(32:40):
brands try to make them moreinclusive rather elitist events.
Some brands try to make themmore inclusive, like Diesel
invited 1,600 students fromvarious colleges and fashion
schools to see some events bypurchasing tickets.
They find paid events open tothe public.
For example, the Vogue Worldevent last September was a
(33:00):
runway show open to the public.
Some smaller brands are open tothe public because they need
more visibility.
Some fashion brands havededicated standing spots for
invitees so they can watch thefashion show standing next to
photographers, for example.
If you are lucky enough and oneof the guests who had a seating
(33:22):
spot didn't make it to the show, you could be offered to
replace them.
It's not good for brands tohave half-empty rooms so they
bring in seat fillers, kind oflike the VMAs.
Now, going to the show is moreabout being seen rather than
actually seeing the clothes.
You can probably see theclothes better online anyway
(33:43):
higher detailed pictures, lessbright and overwhelming
environments.
Also weeks of previews whereeditors go into the designer's
showrooms and look at all thepieces close up from the
collection.
So attending the show is moreabout having your picture taken,
networking with industry peopleand having something to post
(34:05):
Now.
Where you sit during theseevents is everything.
Prestige and status radiatefrom the front row back and from
the end of the runway up NewYork Fashion Week.
The front row seat on the leftside at the end of the runway is
reserved for Miss Anna Wintour,editor-in-chief at Vogue, and
(34:25):
fashion directors usually occupythe front row along with
celebrities, socialites andimportant buyers from stores
like Barney's or Neiman Marcusreally just high-level people.
Other editors, buyers, bloggers, etc.
Occupy the remaining rows,keenly aware of where they are
sitting.
Some editors are given aseating assignment but may
(34:49):
request a new seat if they don'tget the seat that they want and
could easily take offense andnot attend at all.
Social capital means everythingin the space.
It also means being excludedfrom social events in the space.
It also means being excludedfrom social events, private
after-show parties.
The run alongside the show.
A young model discussed hisencounter in the fashion
(35:12):
industry, describing the worldas being like a medieval court
in the complex of socialhierarchy.
We belong to each other bybelonging to a common, visible
world.
Belonging is important withinthe particular relationship of
stage to audience, allows forstruggle for visibility due to
(35:33):
the seating at the showsopposite one another from the
runway, which encourages kind oflike a gaze and mutual
recognition as well as beingcentral to the experience of the
show.
As spectacles, the seating ispart of the show, in my opinion.
Beyond the front row seats areallocated for less important
(35:57):
players.
The furthest reach are designedas standing this area are for
those with much less power andinfluence, such as particularly
resourceful fashion students.
The seating at these showsreally maps out the power,
dynamics and relationships andis a and it's a state of power
which relations among itsplayers.
(36:20):
Now that we've learnedeverything that there is to know
about Fashion Week, I thinkit's safe to say that the
theatrics of Fashion Week andthe concept of putting on a
performance by simply beingpresent feels like a little cute
culty ritual.
I didn't put this in, but itwas also just playing the part
(36:41):
of being there, playing like youbelong.
There's a lot of psychologicalfactors that go into being
present at a fashion week showand obviously I'm not speaking
from experience, because no onewill invite me to a fashion week
show.
These are just vibes and I'mnot a hater, I'm just thinking
critically.
But, like I said, it kind ofgives cute little cultish ritual
(37:03):
positive connotation.
I did at points feel a little alittle cringe while learning
about the exclusivity ofinvitees.
I feel like conventions andentities who want to be
exclusive so bad are a bitstrange.
But I suppose that's life, forFor most people there is
(37:23):
absolutely nothing more enticingthan everyone being invited to
something that you haven'tclimbed the ranks to earn yet.
So maybe one day I'll make itinto Fashion Week, but for now I
will continue to do my nightlyscrolls on the Vogue app to
catch up on the day's fashionshows.
So that's fashion week.
(37:44):
I hope I didn't sound too muchlike a hater.
I felt like I was giving a goodhappy medium, Skeptical, but
also I love what I see.
I love what I see so much.
I did see and this is just myopinion I did see Christian
Dior's couture show and I wasn'tsuper loving what I was seeing.
It kind of just looked likeunfinished ball gowns.
(38:08):
It really felt like they foundthat cage, the little cage skirt
.
They said, cut offthree-fourths of it and once
they decided that they reallyliked it, they also said now
make it in every color, now giveit feathers, now put some
texture.
They really ran with it and I'mloving that for them.
But also, um, no, no, nocomment, actually no comment.
(38:34):
Thank you guys for listening.
I hope you guys learned alittle some-some about Fashion
Week.
Like I said, I will have aHaute Couture short on YouTube.
It's truly not long enough forme to make a whole podcast
episode on, so I'll save yousome time.
Go to my YouTube.
I also have been posting onBlue Sky.
It's pretty cool over there.
(38:55):
I didn't think that you couldlike really customize it as much
as you can, so that's super fun.
I'm on substack.
Someone bullied me into writingmore on there.
I don't think writing is mything.
I'm a really big talker, as wecan see.
Thank you guys for listeningand I hope to see you next time.
(39:16):
Let me know who I should do forwomen's history month.
There's a lot of women in thefashion space and I feel like
I've been covering a lot of menlately and we know how I feel
about that.
So thanks, bye, guys.
Hi guys and welcome to Magnifique, your favorite
fashion week analysis podcast.
I'm your host, gabrielle, andtoday we talk about the history
of fashion week.
You know, really, what is itexactly?
We dive headfirst, we diveheadfirst and we learn about it
(00:21):
all.
Headfirst and we learn about itall.
Fashion Week is a biannualfashion wonderland event taking
off globally, but most notablyin New York City, london, paris
and Milan the big four, as theycall it.
It's a time for holding spacein our calendars.
(00:43):
In February and September,fashion Week is a seven to nine
day event where designers cometogether and host their upcoming
design seasons.
I found myself particularlyinterested in this topic as the
2025 Fashion Weeks, or FashionMonth rather, is upon us.
(01:06):
I found myself realizing that Iknow Fashion Week exists and
for whom, but how do we get hereand how might I one day get
there and by there I mean into aFashion Week show.
Please, please, I'm begging you, please invite me to your show,
please, please, please.
(01:27):
Anyway, in this episode, we'lldiscuss everything from the
origins of showing off yourlatest designs to the invitation
process and, yada, yada,everything in between.
You get the gist.
But first, haute Couture Weekwas this week, and by this week,
I mean the 27th through the31st.
(01:48):
Let's talk about it because Ihave been keeping up with it.
Right now it's the 30th.
Yeah, I'm recording this alittle too close to the deadline
, but hey, one thing about me isI will always make a deadline.
So I want to talk about myfavorite Haute Couture looks.
Obviously, you can't see this,but maybe one day you will be
(02:11):
who's to say.
Really, I just wanted to talkabout my favorite designers that
I've seen so far.
Um, I've been seeing a lot ofthe color purple and I do love
that.
I called it last year.
Purple is the new color, purpleis the it color.
Purple was particularly mycolor and, if anything, whenever
(02:32):
I like something, I just assumethat everybody likes it and
that it's going to be trending.
I knew that purple would betrending, so no surprises there.
What else?
I found myself absolutelyenamored by Armani Privé.
Uh, this I'm.
(02:55):
I have my iPad next to mebecause I wanted to be able to
look at the looks while Idiscussed them.
And I'm so sorry that you can'tlook at the looks while we
discuss them, but maybe, maybeillegally pull up your phone
while you're driving and look atthese looks, because they are
stunning, fabulous, amazing,dare I say, delicious, stunning.
(03:15):
I'm so obsessed.
So that was someone who reallytook me by surprise, mainly
because I've never watched acouture fashion week in real
time.
I've always looked back afterthe fact and I really didn't
understand what was happening,to be completely honest.
But this year I'm builtdifferent and I'm her and I am
(03:38):
that girl.
So I know everything nowbecause I researched it for this
episode.
So those are my thoughts oncouture week.
Seeing a lot of capes If youknow anything about me, I'm a
sucker for a cape.
Victor and Rolf um, I actuallydid like a couple of their looks
.
A lot of it was meh, but I havetwo photos saved.
(04:00):
They use the same color palettefor the whole look.
I don't know if that's typicalfor Victor and Rolf.
Like I said and like you'veheard in the intro episode,
we're fashion industry noobs.
So those are my thoughts andopinions.
Let's talk about Fashion Week.
Let's talk about the origin.
(04:21):
So where did the idea ofparading new designs for people
to ooh and ah at come from?
It's really impossible to say.
However, it's actually notimpossible to say the industrial
revolution made way for tons offashion technological
advancements, from the sewingmachine and synthetic dyes, just
(04:42):
to name a couple.
They made fashion so much moreaccessible to lower class people
, and more accessibility meanspeople have to one-up each other
.
People are just booming out allthese new designs.
These innovations enableddesigners to diversify their
clothing designs and giving arise to fashion as an art form.
(05:03):
Thus the proliferation ofvarious designs.
Also came competition Duringthe late 1800s.
We know the 1800s fondly onthis podcast.
Everywhere, every designer,every brand starts in the 1800s.
So we are so familiar and lovethe 1800s, love them.
(05:29):
During the late 1800s,businesses began employing
models to wear their clothingand meander around populated
areas like racetracks, hopingthe masses and mass media, while
we're at it, would notice.
Shop owners in Paris and Londonwere among the first to send
beautiful young women dressed inthese samples to those horse
(05:53):
race tracks, or perhaps operapremieres and the Boys' Des
Boulognes I should have googledthat to pronounce it, but who
cares when socialites took theirmorning strolls?
It was thought that organizinga social event would show off
(06:14):
their latest couture designs andgain brand exposure, even in
the late 1800s.
It's all about capitalism.
It's all about capitalism.
So historians debate who trulypopularized such events, though
many credit English fashiondesigner, charles Frederick
Worth.
In the late 1800s-1860s, charlesFrederick Worth, the founder of
(06:44):
House of Worth and foundingfather of haute couture,
introduced the concept of sewingbrand labels into clothing and
offering a wide range of apparel.
Before this, fashion houses andshops typically specialized in
specific wardrobes, and Worthalso founded the Chambre
Syndicale de la Haute Couture in1868, so essentially patenting
(07:08):
the term Haute Couture.
Charles Worth introduced theidea of holding fashion shows
for his clients four times ayear.
At these shows, the modelsfirst began to walk down the
runway in front of a largeaudience, who then selected
their favorite designs, whichwere then launched into
production.
Other fashion houses beganorganizing their own shows
(07:32):
following the lead of CharlesWorth.
Another big name in the fashionweek history game is Lucy
Christina, aka Lady Duff Gordon.
Her shows were very popular atthe turn of the 19th century and
the start of the 20th century.
Also, paul Poiret, whotransformed Walking Down the
(07:53):
Runway into colorful showsresembling that of theatrical
performances.
At the turn of the 20th century,fashion shows were now being
held beyond Europe's borders,such that the first fashion show
in the US occurred in 1903 atEhrlich Brothers Department
(08:14):
Stores in New York City.
Shows back then wereinvitation-only and photography
was strictly prohibited for fearof brands and designers copying
each other's works.
In 1911, the show titled theThousand and Second Night, a
Persian Celebration.
(08:35):
This show made global headlines, and then, in the 1920s and 30s
, the fashion show concept hadbecome an integral part in
social life, the fashionindustry, creative expression as
a whole.
It really intertwined itself inAmerican culture.
Designers of the time made fewattempts to unite under one show
(09:00):
.
That was until 1943, whenAmerican journalist Eleanor
Lambert organized Press Week inNew York to draw public and
fashion media's attention toAmerican designers.
This New York event isconsidered the first ever
Fashion Week, although it wouldremain named Press Week until
(09:24):
2001.
But anywho, eleanor Lambertconsolidated all fashion shows
in the city into one single megaevent called Fashion Press Week
.
Over time it took shape intothe fashion week that we know
and love today.
(09:52):
Fashion weeks run consecutivelyin major style capitals around
the world, starting in New York,starting February 3rd in New
York, to be exact.
So New York Fashion Week ends,london picks right back up, then
London ends, milan picks up,culminating altogether in Paris.
Now these four fashion weeksare called the big four, and
just because they are thebiggest, the most transformative
, most influential, you'll seemost of the big names here.
(10:15):
That's not to say, though, thatfashion week doesn't occur
elsewhere.
Many cities all across theglobe indulge in a little
fashion week moment.
Now, fashion week doesn't havean official board or council
that officially decides who sitsat the fashion week table, in
(10:38):
that it makes official slotshard to come by for new
designers to score these limitedspots and call dibs on a time
slot.
Emeritus designers basicallyshow every season, so people
plan for it and know that theirline are coming, so they make
(10:59):
room.
The other issue is budget.
Not every designer can affordan elaborate show at an
expensive venue, so it reallyjust comes down to budget
constraints and inaccessibilityto be able to show at these
weeks, which, okay, makes sense.
I'd prefer quality overquantity.
(11:22):
I don't want just anybody to beable to show at these weeks.
But I also have a lot ofthoughts on Fashion Week as a
whole that I'll get into at theend.
Really just the exclusivity ofit, yada, yada.
Anyway, different designersshow in different cities all
over the world.
Native New Yorker Michael Korsshows in his home city, while
(11:42):
Paris-based British designerStella McCartney and French
Chanel shows at Paris FashionWeek.
So Eleanor Lambert coined theconcept, but Giovanni Battista
Giorgini, a buyer of Italiancollections, coined the term
Fashion Week for his process,for his project.
(12:06):
In 1951, he held a series ofshows at the Palazzo Pitti in
Florence, marking the beginningof Fashion Weeks in Italy.
Paris Fashion Week has beenorganized by the Federation of
Haute Couture, which is thesuccessor of Worth Syndicate
Charles Frederick Worth, to justremind you of 10 minutes prior.
(12:28):
Paris has the most exclusiveFashion Week, participation
limited to Federation membersonly, and the Federation has a
lot of strict guidelines thatyou must follow in order to be
able to show.
The federation currently houses15 members, ever-changing.
(12:48):
It just depends on who'smeeting these criterias.
But you'll notice that Chanel,dior Givenchy, jean-paul
Gaultier and Maisa Margiela theyhave been in this federation
for a long time and the looksthat I was talking about in the
beginning of this episode, thatwas this is haute couture week.
So you have to meet a lot ofguidelines to be able to show.
(13:11):
There I was.
I am going to make a littleyoutube short of the history of
haute couture, just becausethere's not not enough
information to warrant a fullpod.
I really think I canconsolidate it into like three
minutes.
So you want a mini-sode?
Go to my YouTube.
I've been sorry we're ramblingand then we'll get back to
(13:35):
fashion week, but I've beenposting a lot more on my YouTube
because, after the little stuntTikTok pulled, I decided you
know what?
I need a superiority complex.
I'm deleting TikTok while I'mat it, mark Zuckerberg, you're
on the chopping block too.
I deleted all my meta accountsand then I never had X.
(13:55):
Well, I did, but it was calledTwitter then, and once Elon came
in, I said no, I'm not lettinga loser tell me what to do.
So I deleted that a while ago.
So now I don't have any socialmedia.
Well, except blue sky.
I really do like blue sky.
Anyway, all that to say, I nowhold a superiority complex over
not being in the loop, andsomeone just told me today that
(14:17):
Louis Tomlinson was at ZaynMalik's concert and they left
together and they knew thatbecause of TikTok, and now I'm
just feeling a lot of FOMO.
So that is something that I'mhaving to deal with is just
being like left out ofeverything.
But I actually think it's forthe better, because my brain
does hold on to things for awhile and being in the loop for
(14:38):
too long, I might jump off abridge.
Anyway, foreign fashion housescan participate as a guest or
correspondent members.
London designers were known forprotesting any kind of
syndicates and valuing theirindependence, so they conceded
from the Federation in 1984, andsince then London Fashion Week
(14:59):
has become one of the brightestcelebrations of its time.
One thing about fashion week isthat shows rarely, if ever,
start on time.
On average they're like 20 to40 minutes late, just sitting
around waiting with the actualrunway part averaging 30 to 40
(15:21):
looks shown.
Now I said most will not starton time, but mark Marc Jacobs is
the fabulous exception.
He's very punctual.
If his show starts at seven, itis starting at seven.
The first model is walking outat seven.
I adore Marc Jacobs.
You know we love Marc Jacobs onthis pod.
(15:42):
I've gushed about him manytimes but I still haven't given
him his own episode.
So that's curious.
But I can't next month becauseit's Women's History Month.
So sorry, marc Jacobs, maybewe'll see you in April.
Okay, the runway show should beseen as a form of artistic
expression from the designer'sstandpoint.
(16:04):
So that means you'll seeexaggerated, more dramatic
versions of the products thatwill be not sent to the stores.
So you may notice that anethereal dress is completely
see-through.
On the one way, you'll see anip all over the place, but it's
likely that when it goes tostores that they'll incorporate
(16:26):
a modest slip, so you will begood.
Stores that they'll incorporatea modest slip, so you will be
good.
There are two ways a designermight show off their looks
during fashion week.
One is the runway show.
Production, which is the modelwalks out to show the audience
the fit, give a cute little poseand continue on their merry way
.
The other is a presentationsetup where the models basically
(16:48):
double as mannequins.
The other is a presentationsetup where the models basically
double as mannequins, standingslash, posing in some sort of
themed vignette.
It allows guests to get aclose-up look of the collection.
Now, everyone who goes toFashion Week must be invited,
unless it's anopen-to-the-public event.
But that is few and far between.
(17:09):
So editors, retail store buyers, fashion bloggers, influencers,
friends or clients of thedesigners and famous people
Celebrities in the front row areeither there to support their
designer friends or, and mostlikely, they are present to
promote the variant.
(17:29):
Twice a year, the fashionindustry's biggest names show
their latest trendsetters forthe world to marvel at.
The gist of Fashion Week isthat it's a week-long fashion
show that occurs across theglobe, bringing together fashion
and business in one harmoniouspresentation.
(17:51):
Now let's understand more bydissecting the concept of New
York Fashion Week.
Modern-day Fashion Week as aconcept was created in 1943,
dubbed Pressed Week and held atthe Plaza Hotel.
Press director of the New YorkDress Institute, eleanor Lambert
, is the mind behind the week.
It was idealized during theGerman occupation of France.
(18:13):
Fashion insiders were unable togo to Paris at the time.
Thus Press Week was createdwith the intent of attracting
fashion industry's attentionaway from French culture,
because at this time France wasat the top of the fashion world,
leaving little baby crumbs forthe rest of the attention and
(18:35):
the American designers.
So she's meant to showcaseAmerican designers for fashion
journalists who had otherwiseneglected US fashion innovations
.
New York shows were consolidatedto a single location in 1993,
and in 1994, the Runways foundtheir first home at Bryant Park,
(18:57):
conveniently located in theGarment District.
Eventually, the shows outgrewthe iconic midtown grassy
greenness and moved over toDomrush Park in Lincoln Center
in 2010.
There was a brief moment inhistory where New York Fashion
Week was called 7th on 6th,after the 7th on 6th event
(19:18):
management company In 2001, 7thon 6th was sold to IMG and in
2004, olympus became the titlesponsor and the events were
known as Olympus Fashion Week.
In 2007, mercedes-benz becamethe official title sponsor and
(19:41):
the events became known asMercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
Today, img's shows are shown asNew York Fashion Week the shows
and they represent roughly athird of the total New York
Fashion Week schedules.
Img is the official organizingbody that runs the shows and
(20:02):
presents at the Lincoln Center,and Mercedes-Benz has been the
official sponsor since 2009.
Ben's has yet been the officialsponsor since 2009.
I understand that.
That was a lot of titles anddates.
It made sense to me.
It does make sense to me.
I'm here.
I'm with it, but listen to itagain if it was a little bit
confusing.
(20:24):
The shows take place inreal-life tents, since the raw
space is an outdoor park.
Take place in real-life tents,since the raw space is an
outdoor park.
Albeit superlue and expansivestructures compete with heating,
air or air conditioning.
Designers like Donna Karan,tommy Hilfiger and Rebecca
Minkoff traditionally show atofficial Mercedes-Benz fashion
(20:46):
weeks or the tents, thoughshowing in the tents is not a
requirement.
Alexander Wang has moved hershows out of the tent and showed
in Brooklyn on a couple ofoccasions.
Though you will need to fundthe secondary location yourself.
That is kind of a barrier toentry if you don't want to show
(21:07):
in the tents.
The event is a physicallyenclosed space that only a
select few are allowed to enter,rather than it open to the
public exhibit, like the AlleyDeal Home or Chelsea Flower Shop
.
The dividing line between insideand outside is not only very
strong drawn, but mirrors andreproduces the boundaries that
(21:31):
exist around the wider field offashion.
You know this, you know that.
I believe this.
I think that fashion is a veryexclusive industry and elitist.
I'll say it, I will stand myground on that.
So I'll say it, I will stand myground on that.
(21:55):
So Fashion Week as a whole is arather elitist event.
That's just my two cents, but Iwill continue to look at all of
the looks because I love themvery much.
Thank you, thank you.
The economic impact of New YorkFashion Week upon New York City
was estimated to be about $887million in 2016.
So just imagine inflation,grandiose spending habits, just
(22:19):
really bump that up to a couplebill and we're good.
2025's main Fashion Week hubwill be the scarlet lee building
in chelsea this year.
So let's talk about londonfashion week.
I will admit london and milanaren't as expansive as new york.
Um, just due to, I didn't findmuch.
(22:43):
London fashion week was thefirst-speaking series of events
to use the term Fashion Week,beginning in 1984, originally
organized by the French FashionCouncil, who still organizes the
event today.
An instance of the field offashion materialized or reified,
(23:13):
physically realized orobjectified, thus bringing
together the field participantsinto one speciality.
The catwalk theater kind ofmaps out the positions and
relationships in which fashioncapital are enacted.
As part of the performance thatFashion Week as a whole has on
society, it's responsible formaking marketing and retailing
(23:36):
clothing.
British fashion designersjostle for positions on the
international stage, with manyof them securing top positions
in French couture houses, forexample McQueen at Givenchy and
McCartney at Chloe in recentyears.
In the realm of publishing, keyinstitutions are established
(23:59):
players, such as London FashionWeek mirrors these hierarchical
relationships with the widerfield of fashion.
Now, I will admit that a lot ofwhat I just said came from a
scientific research articleabout the psychology of Fashion
Week, so I do apologize if thatwas a lot of big words.
(24:23):
Milan Fashion Week was foundedin 1985.
Most events are organized underthe auspice of the National
Chambers for Italian Fashion,and they were founded in 1958,
but some of the largest designhouses, such as Dolce Gabbana
and Gucci, show outside ofCameramoda Paris Fashion Week.
(24:47):
We are in the midst of the firstportion of Paris Fashion Week.
Paris Fashion Week was foundedin 1945, and this is two fashion
week events, two differentfashion weeks.
You have Haute Couture and thePr-a-porter Pret-a-porter is
just ready to wear.
So haute couture shows havebeen held in Paris since at
(25:07):
least 1945.
After the German occupation,people were kind of desperate to
hold on to some sort ofextravagance and creative
expression.
Thus haute couture week wasemerged, expression.
Thus Haute Couture Week wasemerged.
(25:28):
And when Chambre Syndicale de laHaute Couture required couture
houses to present a collectionof at least 35 runs to the press
to be considered haute couture,among other qualifications,
with both daytime and eveninglooks, I would just like to kind
of circle back to Couture Week2025, because it literally is
(25:48):
happening now as I speak andeverything is so breathtaking.
I will post my favorite lookson Blue Sky.
I don't know if I said this inthe beginning, but I am a girl
who loves capes, so any of thecape looks looks amazing.
I want 14 of them right now.
Yes, yes, ma'am Gimme.
The French Federation overseesthe main Paris Fashion Week
(26:12):
calendars and awardsaccreditations to those who are
allowed to show under thecouture guise guys.
All official Paris FashionWeeks are held by the FHCM.
All other events are said tooccur during Paris Fashion Week
but not officially affiliated.
(26:33):
Haute Couture gradually declinesin favor of off-the-rack and
ready-to-wear, and later runwayshows become more energetic.
We fortunately can still seeHaute Couture in some shows
today, but the shift in focus topractical clothing is very
evident.
This is my plea Please keepHaute Couture alive.
(26:53):
I love her very much and Iwould do anything for her.
I love the creative expression.
I love the extravagance.
I think they're much moreinteresting to look at than
ready-to-wear, and that's not tosay ready-to-wear is bad.
I and I'm sure many people willagree with me I love the
intricacies of Haute.
Paris took a while to join thebandwagon, but it held its first
(27:17):
ready-to-wear fashion week in1973 with the Battle of
Versailles fashion show.
The event was organized toraise funds for the restoration
of the palace's namesake.
Fashion press week wasinvitation only but eventually
allowed the press to take photosof the featured fashions.
Designers only have around 15minutes to make their designs
(27:37):
appeal to the audience, so theycome up with eye-catching, if
not extravagant, styles.
Most people would die for theopportunity to sit in the front
row of fashion shows filled withcelebs, a person who works in
or around the fashion industryor influencers.
The chance of finding yourselffront row if you're not
(28:00):
influential is pretty slim.
Celebrities are paid to attendfashion shows can vary widely if
they get paid at all, dependingon compensation with monetary
payment, while others mightreceive free clothing
accessories or other perks orother perks.
(28:26):
It's reported that Rihanna waspaid about $97,000 to attend
Karl Lagerfeld's show in 2012 inParis.
Bearing in mind that 2012 was11 years ago, so it's likely
that the price has tripled sincethen.
Not all celebrities are paid toattend fashion shows.
Many attend simply for exposure, networking opportunities or
out of genuine interest infashion.
I saw Meg Thee Stallion's lookfor a couple of the couture
(28:50):
shows.
She looks stunning, amazing,gorgeous.
I love Meg and Thee Stallion.
Industry shapers who get todecide what pieces of the
collection will be stocked instores.
Fashion buyers' presence atFashion Make is crucial.
Their mission is to discoverthe collections firsthand, to
see what are the standout pieces, important to get a feeling for
(29:13):
what the customers may love andsource inspiration for future
trends.
Fashion editors, writers andcolumnists report on the runway
by writing a review.
Fashion editors are the onesresponsible for designing what
goes on the pages of themagazines, kind of like Miss
Anna Wintour.
Seeing the collection allowsthem to spot brand pieces that
(29:36):
they could request later for aphoto shoot at the magazine.
Stylists who work at themagazine have similar tasks
during fashion week compared toones in the editor For
journalists.
Fashion shows represent news andthey constitute stories, while
they help buyers to understandthe designer's vision For PR.
Pr is the backbone of society,really, but PR professionals are
(30:03):
the ones who organize fashionshows and all of the associated
events, included press days,store openings, dinners and
cocktails and various socialgatherings.
They take care of day of theevent, from the idea of the day
of the event, from the idea ofthe day of the event to sending
invitations, choosing location,organizing the seating,
(30:27):
welcoming guests, taking care ofthe social profiles during the
event, in charge ofcommunicating with the media.
Really, they do it all.
Thank you, pr.
This reminds me of Samanthafrom Sex and the City.
She is a PR baddie and I wantto grow up to be Samantha.
Actually, I kind of like who Iam now, but Samantha is really
(30:49):
cool and I love her.
Important clients of the brandwho spend X amount of dollars
yearly might also be invited toshows.
Big spenders make them biginvestors to the brand's profit.
So as a way to repay them fortheir loyalty, they may be
invited to shows Again.
Famous people attend fashionshows, many of them with our
(31:13):
designers, muses, faces of thebrand or just friends.
Influencers are relatively newwhen we look at the history of
fashion week.
Traditionally, only fashionindustries, professionals and
famous people attended coutureevents and famous fashion shows.
But having influencers andcontent creators at fashion week
(31:36):
like I said, relatively newmovement.
Social media is a powerfulplatform where brands build
their businesses, an onlinepresence and many collaborate
with influencers to take a lotof pictures and film fashion
shows.
I've seen a lot of influencerswearing complimentary outfits
(31:58):
from the brand to create morepublicity for the brand and
increase awareness.
Unless you can bring value tothe brand, you probably won't
get invited to the show, whichis such a heart-crushing reality
.
But if you still want to get in, volunteering during Fashion
Week may be an easier way.
(32:19):
You won't probably actually getto see the whole show,
depending on your station, butthis experience will allow you
to live and breathe a bit of thefashion industry, to see the
collection by working backstageas a model's dresser.
Although Fashion Weeks arerather elitist events, some
(32:40):
brands try to make them moreinclusive rather elitist events.
Some brands try to make themmore inclusive, like Diesel
invited 1,600 students fromvarious colleges and fashion
schools to see some events bypurchasing tickets.
They find paid events open tothe public.
For example, the Vogue Worldevent last September was a
(33:00):
runway show open to the public.
Some smaller brands are open tothe public because they need
more visibility.
Some fashion brands havededicated standing spots for
invitees so they can watch thefashion show standing next to
photographers, for example.
If you are lucky enough and oneof the guests who had a seating
(33:22):
spot didn't make it to the show, you could be offered to
replace them.
It's not good for brands tohave half-empty rooms so they
bring in seat fillers, kind oflike the VMAs.
Now, going to the show is moreabout being seen rather than
actually seeing the clothes.
You can probably see theclothes better online anyway
(33:43):
higher detailed pictures, lessbright and overwhelming
environments.
Also weeks of previews whereeditors go into the designer's
showrooms and look at all thepieces close up from the
collection.
So attending the show is moreabout having your picture taken,
networking with industry peopleand having something to post
(34:05):
Now.
Where you sit during theseevents is everything.
Prestige and status radiatefrom the front row back and from
the end of the runway up NewYork Fashion Week.
The front row seat on the leftside at the end of the runway is
reserved for Miss Anna Wintour,editor-in-chief at Vogue, and
(34:25):
fashion directors usually occupythe front row along with
celebrities, socialites andimportant buyers from stores
like Barney's or Neiman Marcusreally just high-level people.
Other editors, buyers, bloggers, etc.
Occupy the remaining rows,keenly aware of where they are
sitting.
Some editors are given aseating assignment but may
(34:49):
request a new seat if they don'tget the seat that they want and
could easily take offense andnot attend at all.
Social capital means everythingin the space.
It also means being excludedfrom social events in the space.
It also means being excludedfrom social events, private
after-show parties.
The run alongside the show.
A young model discussed hisencounter in the fashion
(35:12):
industry, describing the worldas being like a medieval court
in the complex of socialhierarchy.
We belong to each other bybelonging to a common, visible
world.
Belonging is important withinthe particular relationship of
stage to audience, allows forstruggle for visibility due to
(35:33):
the seating at the showsopposite one another from the
runway, which encourages kind oflike a gaze and mutual
recognition as well as beingcentral to the experience of the
show.
As spectacles, the seating ispart of the show, in my opinion.
Beyond the front row seats areallocated for less important
(35:57):
players.
The furthest reach are designedas standing this area are for
those with much less power andinfluence, such as particularly
resourceful fashion students.
The seating at these showsreally maps out the power,
dynamics and relationships andis a and it's a state of power
which relations among itsplayers.
(36:20):
Now that we've learnedeverything that there is to know
about Fashion Week, I thinkit's safe to say that the
theatrics of Fashion Week andthe concept of putting on a
performance by simply beingpresent feels like a little cute
culty ritual.
I didn't put this in, but itwas also just playing the part
(36:41):
of being there, playing like youbelong.
There's a lot of psychologicalfactors that go into being
present at a fashion week showand obviously I'm not speaking
from experience, because no onewill invite me to a fashion week
show.
These are just vibes and I'mnot a hater, I'm just thinking
critically.
But, like I said, it kind ofgives cute little cultish ritual
(37:03):
positive connotation.
I did at points feel a little alittle cringe while learning
about the exclusivity ofinvitees.
I feel like conventions andentities who want to be
exclusive so bad are a bitstrange.
But I suppose that's life, forFor most people there is
(37:23):
absolutely nothing more enticingthan everyone being invited to
something that you haven'tclimbed the ranks to earn yet.
So maybe one day I'll make itinto Fashion Week, but for now I
will continue to do my nightlyscrolls on the Vogue app to
catch up on the day's fashionshows.
So that's fashion week.
(37:44):
I hope I didn't sound too muchlike a hater.
I felt like I was giving a goodhappy medium, Skeptical, but
also I love what I see.
I love what I see so much.
I did see and this is just myopinion I did see Christian
Dior's couture show and I wasn'tsuper loving what I was seeing.
It kind of just looked likeunfinished ball gowns.
(38:08):
It really felt like they foundthat cage, the little cage skirt
.
They said, cut offthree-fourths of it and once
they decided that they reallyliked it, they also said now
make it in every color, now giveit feathers, now put some
texture.
They really ran with it and I'mloving that for them.
But also, um, no, no, nocomment, actually no comment.
(38:34):
Thank you guys for listening.
I hope you guys learned alittle some-some about Fashion
Week.
Like I said, I will have aHaute Couture short on YouTube.
It's truly not long enough forme to make a whole podcast
episode on, so I'll save yousome time.
Go to my YouTube.
I also have been posting onBlue Sky.
It's pretty cool over there.
(38:55):
I didn't think that you couldlike really customize it as much
as you can, so that's super fun.
I'm on substack.
Someone bullied me into writingmore on there.
I don't think writing is mything.
I'm a really big talker, as wecan see.
Thank you guys for listeningand I hope to see you next time.
(39:16):
Let me know who I should do forwomen's history month.
There's a lot of women in thefashion space and I feel like
I've been covering a lot of menlately and we know how I feel
about that.
So thanks, bye, guys.
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