Now I actually live in Australia so the seasons down here (and in the rest of the Southern Hemisphere) are opposite to that of every fashion capital in the world, namely Paris, New York, London and Milan.
Keeping this in mind, here are the fashion seasons and in-store dates according to the Northern Hemisphere (give or take a few weeks).
January
S/S Haute Couture Shows in Paris
February
S/S Ready-To-Wear collections in store
March
A/W Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris
April
Heads down, design caps on.
May
Pre-Fall collections in store
June
Resort/Cruise collection showings
July
A/W Haute Couture Shows in Paris
August
A/W Ready-To-Wear collections in store
September
S/S Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris
October
All quiet on the fashion front! Preparing for the next collection.
November
Resort/Cruise collections in store
December
Pre-Fall collection showings
There are a few things you should note when getting your head around the seasons.
1. The two big seasons are S/S and A/W. These collections are showcased at the major fashion weeks six months prior to when they appear in store for the benefit of Buyers and Fashion Press. Buyers need time purchase the pieces they would like to stock at their respective retailers and the brand needs time to produce this stock. Even with the immediacy of online media, traditional media including magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar have long lead times (three to four months), so the Journalists and Editors at these publications need access to imagery from the fashion weeks to include in the editions due out two months prior to the upcoming season.
2. Some brands/fashion houses drop a collection in June, months after S/S collections hit stores. This is called 'High Summer'.
3. In 2011, Singapore played host to the first ever Haute Couture Shows outside of Paris.
4. Resort/Cruise collections were originally created to cater for the wealthy who travelled south, to warmer climates, during the cooler months.
5. Pre-Fall collections sell well but don't attract much hype from the press. They are made primarily for fashion-fanatics who don't like waiting six months for the next addition to their wardrobe.
6. You'll often see celebrities wearing pieces from collections that aren't yet in store. This is the beauty of PR. Publicists work with the brands to create hype surrounding the collections during the six month period between the runway shows and the in-store dates. Pop culture and celebrity work well with fashion.
7. In 1943, Fashion Publicist Eleanor Lambert launched the first ever New York Fashion Week, known as 'Press Week'. Prior to this the fashion press held little or no interest in American fashion because it was believed the designers drew all of their inspiration from Paris. Lambert launched the event because the press could not go to Paris due to the Second World War. To this day, the fashion weeks start in New York, continue in London and Milan and finish in Paris.
I've been clicking through as many Pre-Fall collections as I can get my hands on, have a peep at two looks I adore. I'm seeing a lot of leather - perhaps a hint of what we will see in March?
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| This is by Rachel Zoe. I'm a HUGE fan of a buttoned up white shirt and a mini dress. |
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| This piece is by Naeem Khan. I LOVE a voluminous full length skirt with pockets. The structure of this is so beautiful. |
*Images courtesy of style.com
