Fashion has always played an important role in the development of society. For some it has been and is vital, while for others it is only a requirement to fit in with the social environment. However, with the passing of years fashion has been acquiring more and more power; the designers, the models, the fabrics, the ingenuity, the brands, the fashion parades and so on, have been increasingly relevant. That is why, the meeting point of this industry has been fashion festivals that are held in the world or also known as “fashion week”, read on and learn more about them.
For its part, the web site Definition.de indicates that the word fashion comes from “French mode, a fashion is a use or custom that is in vogue in a certain region for a certain period. It is a trend adopted by a large part of society, generally associated with clothing“.
Fashion has been present in the life of man since the beginning of time, in principle it was only about looking for pieces of cloth or fur, which could cover and protect the climate to which he was exposed. Then, with the appearance of the first civilizations, such as the Egyptians for example, the first fabrics appear and therefore more elaborate garments. Of course, with the passage of time this need was changing and acquiring a different nuance, depending on the country, culture, beliefs and customs.
By the time of Greek civilization, there were other types of fabrics such as linen, wool, cotton and silk. The oldest dress was the “exomis”. At that time, clothing was the form of differentiation of social classes, as the peasants dressed in tanned skins or thick wool dresses, with a leather cap called “kyne”; the upper classes wore linen or fine wool dresses, called “chiton” and women wore a long tunic called “peplo”.
When the development of the Germanic culture began, they discovered the action of sewing clothes. Most of the clothes they wore were made of wool, the design was a short, long-sleeved tunic, long pants or shorts, and a coat.
In the Middle Ages, wool was still widely used, and it was the most used material. The fine linen also highlighted, which was used for shirts and leggings. In the case of men, they wore two tunics, one as a shirt made of yarn (brial) and another one made of wool, longer, with narrow sleeves and tight at the waist with a belt; in addition to the shorts and the cape.
In this way in the Renaissance era, the concept of fashion as it is known today arose. Sewing acquired a more professional character. At least in Renaissance Italy, the most spectacular costumes were created until then, with bright colors and very original shapes. In the sixteenth century, short pants were worn with a baggy style, and the doublet was still worn, this is a garment that covered the torso with skirts and was quilted with bird feathers.
During that same time, the female attire was adorned by a beloved and hated corset, which was wrapped around a skirt called a crinoline, which was made of cloth and horse hair.
Later, with the arrival of the French Revolution, a more formal way of dressing started: short t-shirts and long pants for men; round skirts and shawls for women. At that time, England was the country with more power over fashion, in which men wore a garment called jacket, knee-breeches and coba hats; and women wore long tight dresses under their chests.
With the arrival of the nineteenth century, clothing was modernized, it was made up of wide trousers, which at the top was narrowing to the ankle, straight-cut coats and a tail that was adapted to the style of the current jacket. In the case of women, the figure went down until it reached the waist, wide sleeves, shoulder pads, wide skirts and ornaments on the clothes. It is in this century, when the figures of the couturier and model appear as those who created trends and elaborated the different models. Also, the sewing machine was invented.
Finally, when the 20th century arrived, the French headed everything related to women’s fashion; while the masculine one continued in the hands of the English. New styles such as sports and urban were emerging. As for women, the mini skirt emerged and they started wearing pants like men, giving way to unisex fashion. The United States took the lead to dictate new trends, and imposed other types of fashion. They invented the famous “blue jeans” or jeans, a practical piece and essential until today.
Therefore, in the development of the history of fashion, the evolution of garments can be observed, until reaching what is now known as one of the most important industries on the planet, such as the textile industry.
Now, fashion festivals or the fashion week as it is also known, started with the purpose of presenting the garments that designers made and that were exhibited in large salons in Paris. This began in the 19th century, specifically in 1858. One of the most emblematic figures of that era was Charles Frederick Worth, who was of British origin and who is considered as the pioneer or father of haute couture.
Worth was the one who had the idea of showing the distinguished clientele that acquired his clothes, the new patterns of pieces that he designed, which he called “collection” and who exhibited those pieces in flesh and bone mannequins, that is to say, the models. From there, the term “haute couture” was born, which gave rise to a society that today remains and of which to be part requires a lot of work and to comply with the established requirements.
In the Second World War, the one in which the Nazis took Paris, fashion industry was very affected, as they had to stop the presentations, which at that time was already considered the capital of fashion. However, in New York in 1943, the idea of promoting clothing that was made in the United States was born and since it was not possible to travel to Europe, the publicist Eleonor Lamber organized an event called “Press Week” in Spanish, media week or press, which today is known as the New York fashion week.
This was the first fashion week celebrated in the world, which allowed major fashion publications such as Vogue – focused only in France – to know the designs by the Americans, who were strongly criticized for their daring and innovative proposals. Fortunately, this event worked for the magazines to spread the American designers’ work in fashion industry.
Also, that first edition of fashion week only accepted the specialized press, so only 53 editors could attend. Today there are more than 150 guests who attend this event.
Another of the added values that generated this initiative, was that figures of the aristocracy of the time, like Giovanni Battista Giorgina, an Italian, would like to replicate fashion presentations in Florence, but only with Italian brands. However, it was so successful, that over time the space wasn’t enough and that is when the event moves to Milan.
In the case of London, the first fashion show was in 1961. But, it was not until 1984 that fashion shows began in London and the fashion week was held in a parking lot in the west of the city. In Paris, although there were fashion salons, there was not a precise event in which the different designers came together, so the first week of Parisian fashion took place in 1973 in Versailles.
Today around 140 fashion weeks are held around the world. The great majority are made in the most important capitals of the world: New York, Paris, London, Berlin, Milan, Madrid, Tokyo, among many others, with the passage of time the list has been growing, as well as the calendar of other events of the sector that also help the textile industry move.
The fashion week is an annual event, which is usually done from January to March, time in which the designers show their fall-winter and spring-summer collections that are to come. Therefore, this event must be done at least a few months in advance, to give designers and manufacturers time to prepare their creations for the following season.
The fashion event calendar starts every year with New York Fashion Week, followed by London Fashion Week and so on. Milan Fashion Week is third from last and ends with Paris Fashion Week. As for the men’s fashion sector, the samples are made in Milan.
Buyers from main stores, the editors of fashion magazines, the media, celebrities and entertainment personalities attend these events. Previously, this event was held to satisfy the trade; however, today it can be more versatile since you can listen to live music, see celebrities, extravagant galas, and charity events.
In short, the calendar of fashion events, is able to go around the world. The amount that are made, fortunately, new designers, proposals and trends that make fashion a living organism in constant evolution are added every year. As Oscar Wilde once said: “And after all, what is fashion? from the artistic point of view, it is, in general, a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months “(Personal impressions of America, 1883).
ALFA