New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week in its modern iteration was started by Fern Mallis and Stan Herman in 1993.
New York Fashion Week kicks off fashion month, and is followed by fashion weeks in London, Milan and Paris in February and September. Spring collections are historically shown in September, while fall collections are historically shown in February.
New York Fashion Week evolved from Press Week, which began in the '40s. Eleanor Lambert founded Press Week to showcase American fashion during World War II when editors couldn't travel to Europe. The event helped promote American fashion when many major European fashion houses were on hiatus during the war.
Press Week went on for decades. Then in 1993, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) took over the event, and then-president Stan Herman and executive director Fern Mallis consolidated the citywide events into what became known as New York Fashion Week. It was initially rebranded with the trademark "7th on Sixth."
Throughout the '90s and 2000s, New York Fashion Week was held at Bryant Park in pop-up tents. In 2011, New York Fashion Week left Bryant Park and migrated to Lincoln Center. In 2015, after New York Fashion Week's organizer WME/IMG's contract with Lincoln Center ended, the event was split between Skylight Moynihan and Skylight Clarkson. After Moynihan underwent construction for Penn Station to expand in 2017, Clarkson was the primary venue until 2018. From 2019 until the present, Spring Studios has been the main venue for New York Fashion Week, though a large percentage of designers choose to show off site.
Major American designers have made their runway debuts at New York Fashion Week, including Michael Kors, Christian Siriano, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Prabal Gurung and Anna Sui.
The event has seen some historic fashion moments, such as Ralph Lauren's 50th anniversary show in 2018, when he transformed Central Park's Bethesda Terrace into a runway, drawing everyone from Hillary Clinton to Oprah to watch. There was Marc Jacobs' show for Perry Ellis in 1993, which many saw as the birth of '90s grunge. The show ultimately got Jacobs fired, but the pieces were so popular he reissued them in 2019. In 2000, Alexander McQueen hopped Stateside for a collection he showed on the West Side of Manhattan, famously dropping his jeans at the end of the show to reveal American flag boxer shorts.
New York Fashion Week
Creatures of the Wind RTW Spring 2016
Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters' spring collection was about making familiar silhouettes look new, but…
Tia Cibani RTW Spring 2016
The Brazilian women of the Bahia and artist Beatriz Milhazes served as Tia Cibani's latest muses.
Jennifer Fisher Marks Spring Collection With Cocktail
The jewelry designer and celebrity favorite toasted her collection with a cocktail party.
Erin Fetherston RTW Spring 2016
Erin Fetherston offered an array of options for the bohemian romantic, from needlepoint-embroidered…
BCBG Max Azria RTW Spring 2016
Max and Lubov Azria's collection was inspired by California skate and surf culture in the Seventies.
Nicholas K RTW Spring 2016
Nicholas K siblings Christopher and Nicholas Kunz leaped into spring with a fluid collection inspired by BASE…
Rachel Comey RTW Spring 2016
Those who made the trek to Brooklyn were treated to a three-course dinner and a chic spring lineup that in…
Gen Art Stages Revived Fresh Faces in Fashion Show
Three finalists — Annie Cannon-Brookes of House of Cannon, Ada Zanditon and Nik Thakkar of Ada + Nic and…
VFiles, Project Runway for Fashion’s Fringe
Five edgy designers showcased their talents in a high-energy Project Runway-style show.
JSong RTW Spring 2016
Water, "always changing, flowing and active," inspired Way Zen's JSong collection for spring.
YouTube, Teen Vogue Launch Fashion Week Video Series
Recreating favorite runway looks is a popular endeavor for both bloggers and magazines, and this season, the…
Warm RTW Spring 2016
Tracy Feith makes a comeback with the launch of Warm, a new women's wear line for spring.
Lisa Perry RTW Spring 2016
Primary colors were the starting point for Lisa Perry for spring, combined with Mod-inspired silhouettes and…
Clear by Kai Milla RTW Spring 2016
Kai Milla embraced frothy, ruffled gingham for her spring Clear collection.
Whit RTW Spring 2016
For spring 2016, Whitney Pozgay presented a lineup inspired by colorful African motifs and hot air balloon…