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A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, it lets the industry know what's "in" and what's "out" for the season. The most prominent fashion weeks are held in the fashion capitals like Milan, Paris, London, and New York City.[1] In the early and mid 2000s, fashion weeks sprang up around the globe to draw attention to designers elsewhere.[1]
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[edit] Characteristics
In the major fashion capitals, fashion weeks are semiannual events. January through March designers showcase their autumn (fall)/winter collections and September through November the spring/summer collections are shown. Fashion weeks must be held several months in advance of the season to allow the press and buyers a chance to preview fashion designs for the following season. This is also to allow time for retailers to arrange to purchase or incorporate the designers into their retail marketing.
[edit] Schedule
The schedule begins with New York, followed by London, with the penultimate fashion week in Milan, ending the events in Paris. These four cities are the traditional "big four" fashion weeks that are followed by new emerging fashion weeks globally. The Menswear shows occur in between autumn(fall)/winter and spring/summer in Milan.
Some fashion weeks can be genre-specific, such as a Miami Fashion Week (Swimwear), Prêt-a-Porter (ready-to-wear) Fashion Week, Couture (one-of-a-kind designer original) Fashion Week and Bridal Fashion Week, while Portland (Oregon, USA) Fashion Week shows some eco-friendly designers.
[edit] Controversy
The dominance of the big four benefits industry participants. For example, buyers, journalists, models and celebrities can limit their travel and simply move from one to the other over the four week period. However the arrangement is criticized for stifling design talent in emerging fashion hubs such as Los Angeles or São Paulo.
[edit] Cities with Fashion Weeks
City  | Name | Date established | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Amsterdam International Fashion Weeks | 2004[2] | |
| Asunción | Asunción Fashion Week | 2003[3] | |
| Athens | Hellenic Fashion Week | 2000[4] | |
| Atlanta | Haute-lanta Fashion Week | 2006[5] | |
| Auckland | New Zealand Fashion Week | 2001[1] | |
| Baltimore | Baltimore's Fashion Week | 2008[6] | |
| Bangkok | Bangkok Fashion Week | 2005[7] | |
| Barcelona | Barcelona Fashion Week | 1981 (Known as Pasarela Gaudí until 2001) | |
| Belgrade | Belgrade Fashion Week | 1996[8] | |
| Bellevue, Washington | Bellvue Fashion Week | 2007[9] | 2003-05 Brooklyn Designers 2008 its new form |
| Berlin | Berlin Fashion Week | ||
| Cape Town | Cape Town Fashion Week | 2003[10] | |
| Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires Fashion Week | 2008 | |
| Charleston | Charleston Fashion Week | 2007 | |
| Chicago | Chicago Fashion Week | ||
| Cleveland | Fashion Week Cleveland | 2002 [11] | |
| Columbus, Ohio | Columbus Fashion Week | 2007[12] | |
| Copenhagen | Copenhagen Fashion Week | 1964 (Unknown in its current form) [13] | |
| Cyprus | Cyprus Fashion Week | 2008[14] | |
| Dar es Salaam | Swahili Fashion Week | 2008 | |
| Dubai | Dubai Fashion Week | 2006[15] | |
| Dublin | Dublin Fashion Week | ||
| Fort Lauderdale | FTL MODA | 2007[16] | |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Fashion Week | 1968[17] | |
| Johannesburg | Joburg Fashion Week | 2007[18] | |
| Kiev | Ukrainian Fashion Week | 1997[19] | |
| Kingston | Caribbean Fashion Week | Started November 2001 (Now held in June) | |
| Kobe | Kobe Fashion Week | Started from 2006 A/W collection [20] | |
| Kuala Lumpur[21] | Malaysia Fashion Week | 2007-2008 | |
| Lahore | Pakistan Fashion Week | 2007 | |
| Lagos | Nigerian Fashion Week | 2007 | |
| Las Vegas | Las Vegas Fashion Week | 2009 | |
| Lisbon | Moda Lisboa/Lisbon Fashion Week | 1994 | |
| Liverpool | Liverpool Fashion Week | 2008 | |
| London | London Fashion Week | 1961 (1993 in its current form) | |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles Fashion Week | 2003[22] | |
| Madrid | Madrid Fashion Week | 1963 | |
| Mallorca | Mallorca Fashion Week | 2009[23] | |
| Manila | Philippine Fashion Week | 1997[24] | |
| Melbourne | L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival | ||
| Mexico City | Fashion Week Mexico | 1998[25] | |
| Miami | Funkshion: Fashion Week Miami Beach | 1998[26] | |
| Miami Fashion Week | 1998[27] | ||
| Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami | 1998[28] | ||
| Milan | Milan Fashion Week | ||
| Montréal | Montréal Fashion Week | ||
| Moscow | Fashion Week in Moscow | 1994 (2003 in its current form)[29] | |
| Russian Fashion Week | 2001[30] | ||
| Mumbai | Mumbai Fashion Week | 2001 | |
| Nashville | Music City Fashion Week | 2008[31] | |
| New Delhi | Delhi Fashion Week | 2008[32][33] | |
| India Fashion Week | 2000[34][35] | ||
| New York City | New York Fashion Week | 1943 (1993 in its current form)[36] | |
| Oslo | Oslo Fashion Week | 2004 | |
| Ottawa | Ottawa Fashion Week | 2008 in its current form | |
| Paris | Paris Fashion Week | 1973 in its current form | |
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia Fashion Week | 2003 in its current form | |
| Phoenix | Phoenix Fashion Week - separated from Scottsdale Fashion Week | 2004[37] | |
| Portland | Portland Fashion Week | 2003[38] | |
| Prague | Prague Fashion Week | 2002[39] | |
| Reykjavík | Iceland Fashion Week | 2000[1] | |
| Rio de Janeiro | Fashion Rio | ||
| Rome[40] | Rome Fashion Week | ||
| Sacramento | Sacramento Fashion Week | 2008[41] | |
| San Francisco | San Francisco Fashion Week | 2004[42] | |
| Santiago | Santiago Fashion Week | 2006 | |
| São Paulo[43] | São Paulo Fashion Week | 1995[44] | |
| Sarajevo | Sarajevo Fashion Weeks - two rival events | [45] | |
| Scottsdale, Arizona | Scottsdale Fashion Week | 2005 | |
| Singapore | Singapore Fashion Week. | 1987 | |
| Seattle | Seattle Fashion Week | 2003 | |
| Seoul | Seoul Fashion Week | [46] | |
| Shanghai | Shanghai Fashion Week | ||
| Sydney | Australian Fashion Week | 1995[46] | |
| St. Louis | St. Louis Fashion Week | ||
| Stockholm | Stockholm Fashion Week | 1995[46] | |
| Tashkent | Tashkent Fashion Week | 2006[47] | |
| Tehran | 2006[1] | ||
| Toronto | L'Oreal Fashion Week | 2001[48] | |
| Tokyo | Japan Fashion Week | 1985 (2005 in its current form) [49] | |
| Ulan Bator | Goyol | 1988 [50] | |
| Vancouver | Vancouver Fashion Week | 2001[51] | |
| British Columbia Fashion Week | 2004[52] | ||
| Warsaw | Warsaw Fashion Street | 1996 | |
| Zagreb | Zagreb Fashion Week | 2003 |