Whether you are interested in fashion or not, you will have seen pictures from runways. These pictures often depict, what seems like, an entirely different world of clothes you may never wear (or even dare to, should you have the opportunity) and glamorous members of the fashion world sitting perfectly coiffed front row. However, it isn't actually a complete world apart. While few of us may ever sit front row and buy endless pieces or get chauffeured around fashion capitals from show to show, this author has actually attended quite a few fashion shows and has even sat in that famous front row before – so, it's not entirely impossible or out of reach! Most shows are really only attended by press and buyers and fashion insiders but fashion week has become much more than a thing of trade and business; it has become a celebration and everyone can join in!
Paris Fashion Week takes place twice a year, once in February, when the Autumn-Winter collections for the next year are show and once in September, when the Spring-Summer collections for the next year are shown. In addition to this, there are pre-collection, resort and Haute Couture shows at different times throughout the year. The first fashion week was held in New York but developed from the "salon shows" in Paris couture salons that date back to the 1700s and, so, Paris can be seen to be the spiritual home of fashion weeks. The “Big Four”, or the most influential and famous fashion weeks are New York, London, Milan and Paris and take place in that order each season, though many other places in the world now have exciting and flourishing fashion weeks of their own.
The first recognized Paris Fashion Week was held in 1973 and organized Haute Couture, Ready-to-Wear, and Men’s Fashion into one grouped showing by the Fédération Française de la Couture. It was held as a fundraiser at and for the Palace of Versailles, in order to raise funds for its restoration. American and Parisian designers attended the event, with Anne Klein, Bill Blass, Stephen Burrows, Oscar de la Renta, Hubert de Givenchy, and Yves Saint Laurent among them.
Today, it is largely only French and European designers and brands that show at Paris Fashion Week in a variety of shows, presentations and other special events. If you have found a vacation rental in Paris and love fashion, read on to the rest of the posts in this series and find out how you can participate in the event and get a taste of the fashion world for yourself.
The first recognized Paris Fashion Week was held in 1973 and organized Haute Couture, Ready-to-Wear, and Men’s Fashion into one grouped showing by the Fédération Française de la Couture. It was held as a fundraiser at and for the Palace of Versailles, in order to raise funds for its restoration. American and Parisian designers attended the event, with Anne Klein, Bill Blass, Stephen Burrows, Oscar de la Renta, Hubert de Givenchy, and Yves Saint Laurent among them.
Today, it is largely only French and European designers and brands that show at Paris Fashion Week in a variety of shows, presentations and other special events. If you have found a vacation rental in Paris and love fashion, read on to the rest of the posts in this series and find out how you can participate in the event and get a taste of the fashion world for yourself.
