Fashion Week Timeline

 

ELEANOR LAMBERT

1940’s:

• 1943 – Fashion Publicist, Eleanor Lambert, creates the first New York Fashion Week, at that time known as Press Week, because of the cancellation of Paris fashion shows due to Nazi occupation.
• 1944 – Ruth Finley launches her famous fashion calendar.

 

CLAIRE MCCARDELL

1950’s:

• 1953 – Claire McCardell (credited for inventing the American look) introduces “soft parts and pieces” which is a casual and comfortable approach to fashion design.

 

Anne Klein

1960’s:

• 1965 – Anne Klein starts the invention of separate tops and bottoms.
• 1969 – Oscar de la Renta shows his first collection to the public.

 

Calvin Klein AD

1970’s:

• 1972 – Calvin Klein launches his first underwear
• 1973 – Eleanor Lambert takes five American designers to Paris to be showcased along with the leading European designers such as Chanel and Dior.
• 1975 – Iman arrives in America. She becomes an international model and breaks down a great race barrier.

 

Anna Wintour

1980’s:

• 1985 – Donna Karan shows her seven easy pieces line, which is practical separates in jersey and flannel.
• 1988 – Anna Wintour, newly editor of American Vogue, makes her first appearance at New York Fashion Week.

 

Bryant Park (white tents)

1990’s:

• The 90’s became the decade of the supermodels: Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, and Naomi Campbell
• 1993 – New York fashion week, which was previously scattered all over the city in apartments and warehouses, moves to Bryant Park under the famous white tents.

 

Lincoln Center (the new home of Fashion Week)

2000’s:

• The generation of photography and celebrities in the front row. Famous faces all gather in Bryant Park for fashion week.
• 2001 – The first day of New York fashion week 2001 was September 11. Fashion week was cancelled.
• 2002 – New York and London fashion week exchange dates so that New York doesn’t fall on the first anniversary of 9/11
• 2003 – Founder Eleanor Lambert makes her last appearance at fashion week, one month after her 100^th birthday.
• 2010 – New York fashion week is moved to the Lincoln Center.