There New York Fashion Week marks, in the calendar of those who follow fashion for work or pleasure, the first appointment of the long months dedicated to the new collections. In September as in February, the first destination of the fashion month It is historically overseas, in the homeland of big names in luxury like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. But has it always been this way and above all, how did this globally renowned event come about?
In anticipation of the upcoming fashion shows Spring-Summer 2025 which will start on September 6th, we thought we’d collect for you a series of curiosities and anecdotes regarding this great eventto reveal when it was born, who organized it and how it has changed over the years, also in reference to the events that have influenced the world, society, fashions and, obviously, the world of fashion.
Between changes of location, unexpected collapses (not metaphorical) and tributes that appeared on the big screen, discover these 7 curiositiesthat you may not know, about New York Fashion Week.
1. The first dates back to 1943
The first edition of New York Fashion Week was held in 1943 under the name of Press Weekliterally the press week, and was conceived by the publicist Eleanor Lambert. In those years the undisputed capital of fashion was Paris, but because of the Second World War the professionals could not reach France, so Lambert had the intuition to bring together American stylists to highlight the novelties they were proposing by presenting them to the country’s press. It is said that of 150 invited journalists only about fifty had the courage to take part; they were far-sighted because the event was a success (and overshadowed the Parisian glories for a while). Two years later, in 1945, Ruth Finley created what would become the Fashion Calendar.
2. In 1993 it became the NYFW we know today
The first changes can be seen in the early 1990s, thanks to Fern Mallis, Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of Americawhich in 1993 proposed to concentrate the collections at Bryant Park, in a large tensile structure that occupied almost the entire surface of the park. The reason for this innovation? We’ll tell you in the next point…
3. In 1991 a ceiling collapsed during a fashion show
Let’s say it right away, there were no casualtiesjust some damage to the hairdo of some guests who found themselves covered in debris. In 1991, during a Michael Kors fashion show, the ceiling above the walkway collapsed. For this reason, it seems, the decision was made to centralize the fashion shows in a location (before then each show was held in places scattered around the city, a bit like today) that was above all safe.
4. You can see the parades by buying tickets (more or less)
This is what has always been said about New York Fashion Week: you can’t get in by invitation only, but You can buy tickets to watch the parades. A true thing, even if in part. There is a sales system but not for single shows, that is, you can buy packages or VIP experiences, with prices ranging from 69 to 7,500$, which allow you to attend events designed for the public (not fashion shows for insiders).
5. NYFW also appears in Sex and the City
There are many events that appear on the small and big screen and, in the case of New York Fashion Week, we find it in one of the series most connected to the city of New York. Precisely in the first film of Sex and the Cityreleased in 2008. The four protagonists attend a fashion show and, upon exiting, Samantha Jones she is attacked by a group of animal rights activists who smear her white fur.
6. September 11, 2001, seen from the catwalks
THE’September 11, 2001while the tragic attack was taking place World Trade Centerwas also staged on the fourth day of the Spring-Summer 2002 fashion shows. To be precise at 9:00 sharp of that morning at Bryant Park designer Liz Lange’s debut show was heldwhich brought the first collection on stage motherhood in the history of New York Fashion Week. It was the first but also the last show of that day, because shortly after the whole machine would stop to start again a week later (obviously quietly) at the behest of Anna Wintour, with the support of designers like Carolina Herrera, who made her showroom available as a catwalk.
7. Alexander McQueen walked the runway in the middle of a hurricane
After the first fashion shows held in London, a city closely connected to the English designer Alexander McQueen, he decided to show in New York. He did it only once and, on that occasion, New York was hit by Hurricane Floydone of the most powerful in destructive force ever recorded on American soil. The show, entitled Eyeinterpreted Islamic culture in relation to the Western world, bringing elements such as the burqa to the catwalk.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
