The History of Fashion Week, Part 2

CONTINUATION OF FASHION WEEK

Press Week later became known as Fashion Week, and has been held twice a year since 1943 with the exception of September 11, 2001 (Tong 2011).

For 30 years after the first Press Week, designers held their own shows during the biannual event all around the city. In 1990, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) decided to take action when ceiling plaster fell onto runway models during a Michael Kors show. They began to search for a venue that would host the week-long event. Finally in the spring of 1994, Bryant Park in Manhattan with its white tents and invite-only status was the designated location for New York Fashion Week. The CFDA then secured financial sponsors like Mercedes-Benz, which is why Fashion Week was renamed to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

In September of 2010, as the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week became more popular, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts became the new venue because it had 30% more space than Bryant Park, which would ultimately hold more people to attend the events (Skarda, 2012).

According to Women's Wear Daily, Lincoln Center's contract wasn't renewed and is no longer the official venue for NYFW. Mercedes-Benz has also dropped out as the sole sponsor. The NYFW seems to be revamping the event, as they are looking for a new location and possibly a new sole sponsor. However, the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, remains supportive of the fashion industry by stating that "the government would triple its current investment to $15 million from $5 million," and that the "industry is more vital than ever" (Lockwood, 2015).

Badgley Mischka F/W 2013 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (Schuessler, 2013)

References:

Lockwood, L. (2015, April 13). New York fashion week leaves Lincoln Center. Women’s Wear Daily. Retrieved from http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/new-york-fashion-week-lincoln-center-10108237/

Schuessler, B. (2013, February 13). On the runway: Badgley Mischka. Retrieved from http://www.sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/articles/984983/new-york-fashion-week-on-the-runway-badgley-mischka

Skarda, E. (2012, February 9). A brief history of New York fashion week. Time. Retrieved from http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/09/a-brief-history-of-new-york-fashion-week/

Tong, A. (2011, October 8). The first New York fashion week. Retrieved from http://www.oliviapalermo.com/the-first-new-york-fashion-week/