Unit 2 Fashion Weeks

1. Unit 2 Fashion Weeks English for Cultural and Creative Industries

2. Fashion Week was held for the first time in New York City in 1943. It was a small event designed to attract buyers to America while French fashion suffered during the Second World War, but these days, fashion weeks are held all over the world. They now take place on every continent, but it is still the “big four” – in New York, London, Milan and Paris – which attract the most attention.

3. Designers generally show their collections twice a year. The autumn/winter collections are shown in February and March, and the spring/summer collections in September and October. (A number of fashion houses also hold small shows between seasons, called “resort” and “fall” respectively.) This timetable means that buyers and journalists see the clothes long before they are available in stores, and they have a significant influence on what will be popular the following season, depending on what they choose to sell or write about. And it is not just buyers and journalists who are important attendees at fashion week – having a celebrityon the front row (or “FROW”) of your runway show guarantees better recognition of your brand.

4. Each of the “big four” fashion weeks is known for something different. New York is sporty, whereas London is creative and modern; Milan is extravagant, but when it comes tohaute couture, Paris is still the city to beat. One thing is for sure: no matter where they happen, fashion week shows are works of art, and they’re extremely expensive. The Marc Jacobs autumn/winter 2011 show, which featured space-age outfits in shiny fabrics, cost over a million dollars and lasted just 20 minutes! But these crazy sums of money are often seen as worthwhile investments, since designers have just two chances each year to showcasetheir best work to the public. Everything must be perfect, from the venueto the music to the models.

5. Although they are known as fashion weeks, they can last much longer. Each fashion week has more than 100 events. There is an official schedule for the major brands, as well as a second, unofficial one for smaller designers. Naturally, the media focuses on the official shows, but if you like your apparela little more avant-garde, it’s worth taking a look at the off-schedule shows. They tend to be more experimental, as they’re staged by young people who are just starting their careers, and are a great place to discover new talent.

6. So how do you get your hands on a fashion week ticket? The bad news is that, unless you work for a prominent fashion magazine like Vogue, your chances of seeing a big show are not good. You can apply online, but that does not guarantee a ticket. You will be “screened” to ensure that you meet certain criteria, and only a tiny percentage of applicants are accepted. In both London and Paris, for example, you must prove that you have an address in those cities, as a sign of your commitment to attend! It’s not for nothing that the fashion industry has a reputation for being exclusive.

7. Dialogues

8. Dialogue 1 • A: Did you see the show about fashion week on TV last night? • B: No, I was studying last night. Which fashion week was it about? • A: London. It just finished. There was this one runway show that made me think of you! • B: Oh yeah? How come? • A: Well, you know how you love the 1960s? A designer called Alakeson made a collection of space-age sixties clothes. They were really fun – lots of white and purple fabrics, and plastic jewellery. • B: [sarcastic] Oh, great. That means everyone will be wearing sixties style now! • A: What’s wrong with that? • B: I like to look different from everyone else. If Alakeson says the sixties are fashionable, then everyone will start dressing the same as me. It’s annoying. • A: Oh, I see what you mean. You’ll have to choose a new favorite decade. • B: It’s not as easy as that. Everything in my wardrobe is from the 1960s!

9. Dialogue 2 • A: I’m just checking the facebook page for Milan fashion week. Come and see this dress! • B: Which one…? Oh wow. That’s beautiful. • A: What do you think of these pants? • B: I’m not sure. They’re a bit wide! I love that vest though. Who’s it by? • A: Um … Daniel Everest. Look, here’s a video of his show. Shall we watch it? • B: Sure. Oh my gosh, check out that model’s hair! I wish I could do mine like that. • A: I wonder how much they spent on this show? It’s crazy! It looks like the models are walking through fire! • B: That’s just a light effect, I guess. The venue is incredible. Where is it? • A: Hmm, it says here that it used to be a train station and – • B: Wait, wait! Did you see that? On the front row! It’s Emma Wilson! • A: Who’s Emma Wilson? • B: Are you serious? She’s the lead singer with Sugarcube. Hey, pause the clip. Let’s see which other celebrities are there.

10. Cultural notes

11. The “big four” fashion weeks always take place in the same order – New York, London, Milan, and Paris. • New York is the oldest fashion week and London the newest, having started in 1943 and 1984 respectively. As the grandmother of the fashion weeks, New York is considered the “safest” and shows the most conservative, wearable clothes. London is the rebellious teenager of the family, and its designers tend to ignore current trends and show whatever they like! • An Italian event was added in 1958 but it was held first in Florence, then Rome, and finally Milan. Today Milan fashion week hosts some of the most commercially successful labels in the world, such as Gucci, Prada and D&G. However, it is Paris which is still considered the fashion capital of the world, and this is why its collections are always shown last. It was added to the “big four” in 1954.