POLITICS OF FASHION: FASHIONING YOU! WHY WE NEED DIVERSITY - THE FOUR FASHION CAPITALS

Once upon a time to be on the front row of a catwalk, up close and personal with models and seeing all the backstage action was next to impossible unless you were a designer or an editor extrodinaire, say Alexander McQueen or Anna Wintour.  Fashion was inpenertabale to the masses, the goings on of the industry hidden to the yes of the world - the masses only able to see a glimpse of the industry twice a year when a few minutes of a designers work was shown at their catwalk show. The catwalk show for the few minutes of mayhem, madness and models represented six months of designers hard work - for it all to be over instantaneously, then picked apart and scrutinised by the eagerly awaiting media.

Even after the show case of the fashion show, consumers would have to wait months to even see the garments let alone own them. Fashion was authoritarian process, the industry strictly ran by the elite who occupied it. The high fashion world stayed within the realms of the big four shows, in the worlds fashion capitals: Paris, Milan, New York and London.


PARIS:


Paris is the first of the shows, show the designer collections first. Paris displays the designers who are the big fashion houses such a Dior and Louis Vuitton. Paris as the home of couture is also the home of the couture collections which are showcase 2 months prior to ready-to-wear.

LONDON:

London is the show casing second and is one of the youngest of the big four. It has a reputation as being young, creative and innovative. However, due to the extravagant nature of the shows, London is also known for the chaotic nature of the shows.

MILAN:


Milan is as well established as Paris as a fashion capital, meaning due to the calibre of the designer it is regarded by some as a higher status than London. This leaves London with issues, as Milan casting is normally the work prior to the shows, consequently falling on the period of London Fashion Week.

NEW YORK:

New York is the last of the big four to showcase and is known for having an extremely polished aesthetic.