Even those on the periphery of the runway are familiar with the hustle and bustle, glitz and glam of Fashion Week — which over time, has become Fashion Month. All over the globe, models, designers, and social media influencers gather to witness the new collections from an iconic roster of designers. But this seasonal spectacle wasn't always a thing. Check out these 17 fascinating images illustrating how Fashion Week came to be.
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1830-1840
Fashion illustrations, of course, were the precursor to live models. The women drawn here are modeling the fashionable hats and gowns of the time.
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1894
English fashion designer Charles Frederick Worth created the gold standard of haute couture — meaning "high sewing" or "high fashion". By the age of 30, he was already an incredibly established designer and his "high dressmaking" skills led to the birth of his label House of Worth, which still produces fine clothing and perfumes today.
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1900-1910
By the turn of the 20th century, House of Worth was designing the latest women's clothing in Paris. British journalist George Walden said of Worth, "Charles Frederick Worth dictated fashion in France a century and a half before Galliano."
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1923
Worth is also credited with making modeling a career. He was the first to tailor on real people. He worked directly on the customers they were intended for, creating a more customized look. Here, a model wearing leather gloves with a patterned in-lay, shows off an ankle-length dress by Worth, decorated with an intricately beaded yoke and cuffs.
His well-respected style was adopted by other designers and quickly shaped how consumers perceived high-design.
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1947
As the modeling industry expanded from Paris to New York City, it found a place on television (especially in the United States). Models would get in front of the camera and show off clothing women could buy. Saturday Revue, a variety show broadcast on WCBW, CBS Television, featured fashion, as well as dancing and theatre.
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1953
Starting in the 1940s, "Press Week" — the first unofficial fashion week — was established. Fashion editors were packed into small showrooms on Seventh Avenue during fashion press previews. Here, a model squeezes by in a lilac taffeta dress by Samuel Winston.
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1962
Industry professionals would also gather in department store basements to see the latest in women's fashion. This model dons Orbach department store's copy of a famous French pea coat in 1962.
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1962
As the years went on, the shows moved out of basements and became the highly-produced shows we are familiar with today. This model walks the runway in a patterned dress during a fashion shows at Ohrbach's department store.
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1962
Magazines like Vogue swooped in and replaced fashion illustrations with portraits of models showing off the newest styles.
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1962
As the shows became more popular, they became a combination of commercialization and art.
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1965
By the mid '60s, fashion shows grew not only in popularity, but in size as well. The Denver Merchandise Mart pictured here would later be filled with 500 wholesale buyers for a breakfast fashion show.
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1971
The term 'supermodel' started making the rounds as a way of referring to press week models who became household names.
The models pictured here display hats featured by the Millinery Institute of America during the 56th semiannual 'press week' for visiting fashion editors in 1971. The flower hat is by Jack McConnell, the purple felt hat is by Frank Olive, and the red winged hat is by Chanda.
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1980
In 1975, the collection of Press Week shows were officially dubbed Fashion Week. Here, models and designer Claude Montana walk the runway at the Claude Montana Ready-to-Wear Spring/Summer 1980-1981 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in October of 1980.
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1981
The models became just as important as the actual garments by the 1980s. Here, models walk the runway at the Sonia Rykiel Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 1981-1982 fashion show during the Paris Fashion Week in March, 1981.
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2017
Today, Fashion Week shows are full-on artistic live performances, often full of celebs, supermodels, and musicians galore. From the soundtracks to the set design, most designers opt for over-the-top shows.
The Coach Fall/Winter 2017 runway show replaced a standard runway with a dirt road flanked by burnt bushes, and a run-down house as the backdrop. We can't wait to see what next season's shows have in store.
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