The Purpose of Fashion Week

Question:  “What exactly happens during fashion week?”

Answer:  Fashion week is your basic industry trade show...on steroids.

While one might think it's all about celebrities, socialites, and superstar models, the basic purpose of fashion week is to sell clothes.  Designers present their latest collections, and buyers place orders for the clothes they want.

Seventy-five to a hundred years ago, retail buyers would go to major fashion cities twice a year to see the latest lines and place their orders.  In the United States, that meant that buyers from places like Neiman Marcus (Dallas), Marshall Fields (Chicago), Wannamakers (Philadelphia), and the May Company (Denver) would go to New York to see and buy.

As mass production techniques improved and Hollywood began to have a major impact on clothing consumption in the 1920's and 30's, the fashion industry responded by developing trade shows at set times during the year to bring as many buyers and sellers together in one place at one time.  Major designers held fashion shows during these trade show weeks, but for many years, they were limited to private haute couture clients and select retail buyers.

By the early 1960's, the market for haute couture clothes began to dwindle.  When Pierre Cardin showed his first Ready-To-Wear collection in Paris in 1960, the fashion industry gave a collective gasp.  Fashion shows for the masses?  It simply wasn't done!

But as many large fashion houses faltered for lack of private clients, The House of Cardin expanded rapidly.  Perhaps Pierre was on to something, the others thought.  Within five years, most of the major designers were showing their RTW collections during Trade Week fashion shows.  Others, like Balenciaga, simply closed their doors and retired.

Around the same time, the old Hollywood studio system was coming to an end.  Whereas the studios once cultivated its talent, doing everything from fixing crooked teeth to changing names to dressing its stars for movie premieres and award shows, the actors were suddenly left to fend for themselves.  Some, like Audrey Hepburn, gravitated toward specific designers to help them define their look (she liked Hubert de Givenchy).

When these popular actors appeared someplace wearing a designer's clothes, the designer's sales immediately went up.  When Giorgio Armani dressed Richard Gere for “American Gigolo” in 1980, his then 5-year old Italian atelier exploded onto the international scene.  He's been a major fashion force ever since.

Today, fashion weeks around the world are staged by fashion marketing professionals who have taken all of these lessons learned and honed the system for maximum sales.

Major designers are tapped to present fashion shows.  This is no small undertaking.  In addition to designing the clothes and getting the samples ready for viewing, the designers have to hire and fit the models, hire and consult with the hair and makeup artists, arrange for show space, design the set, determine the music, and hire the crews to set up and take down the runway and chairs.  And that's BEFORE the curtain rises.  Many designers have someone on their payroll to oversee all the details.

Once the production plans are in place, the designer then has to agonize over the guest list and the limited seating.  In addition to their major retail accounts, he or she will also usually invite his orher biggest couture clients, who are usually socialites and celebrities, and the biggest names in fashion journalism.

The nail-biting starts when they begin seating assignments.  Who should have a prominent front-row seat?  Who belongs in subsequent rows?  It's an agonizing exercise in diplomacy, because in the ego-filled world of fashion, if you tick off someone of influence, you risk losing prominent press coverage, a major retail account, or a socialite or celebrity with a loyal clothes-horse following.

The show itself is a whirl of beautiful clothes, “Who's Who,” and countless flashing cameras.  Video crews are there filming everything, from the clothes to the celebrities to the chaos backstage. 

Once the show is over, the buyers, press, and couture clients move on to the next show on their list.  The designer goes back to his or her showroom to get ready for the onslaught of buyers.

Buyers go to the trade shows knowing how much they can spend.  If they'll be buying from several designers, they must keep track of what they've ordered at each stop so they don't exceed their budget. 

Celebrities and socialites go to see and place orders for clothes and to be seen in the press.  Since the cameras are already there, why not grab a little PR?

The press goes to see what the designers are showing this year.  They'll get enough pictures, film footage, and interviews to show in their respective media for several months. 

If a designer is really lucky, he or she will have one or two items from the collection that will create a buzz.  Everyone at the show will talk about it, and the media will feature it in news shows, magazines, and newspapers.

The end consumer will then learn about this new item, and decide that she simply MUST have it!  She'll call the department store or boutique where she regularly shops, and place an advance order.  By the time the designer is finally able to deliver the goods to the buyer months later, the store could already be out of stock on the item before it ever hits the store floors. 

So do ALL designers have fashion shows during fashion week?  No.  As you already read, there's a lot of time and expense that goes into producing a show.  While major designers can afford this—or can find eager sponsors to foot the bill—it's out of the reach of most newcomers.

So what do they do? 

Sometimes they're able to find sponsors to underwrite the show.  Some joint venture with other up-in-coming designers to put on a show featuring all of their designs.  But most rent tables or booths at the convention hall or hotel where the trade show is going on.  Buyers then stop by their booths, look over their offerings, and place their orders...or not.

Since major department store and mail order catalog buyers frequent these trade shows looking for rising talent, it's a great place to set your sites on when you're ready to take your local business to the next level.  Just be prepared to fill the large number of orders you're likely to get, or they won't do business with you again.  Never take on more than you can deliver.

So what's the purpose of fashion week?  To bring buyers and sellers together in one place to do business AND to create enough interest and excitement about an upcoming fashion season that the end consumer is ready and waiting for the goods, charge card in hand.

Glamour, celebrity, and the aura of privilege all lead to massive sales.  The brand-name designers know this...which is why the fashion industry is one of the top ten in the world.

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Diana Pemberton-Sikes is a fashion writer and image
consultant and a contributing author to FabJob’s Guide
to “Become A Fashion Designer.”  You can visit her
online at FashionJobReview.com .