Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York

New York Fashion Week has a long history behind it with the first New York Fashion being held in 1943. It’s original purpose was more a political objective rather than a fashion objective. During World War II fashion industry insiders could not travel to Paris to see other fashion shows and so a Fashion publicist by the name of Eleanor Lambert created an event called “Press Week” which was designed to feature only American designers that ignored their creations up until Press Week. The event ended up being a huge success and the ultimate goal: to showcase American designers more often; was fulfilled when fashion magazines like Vogue, who previously featured all French designers, started to feature more American designers and American fashion on their pages.

In 1994 the event was moved to where it currently is held today, Bryant Park, in a series of large white tents that were placed all over the park. Admission ended up being very difficult to obtain and most admissions were by invitation only to the fashion industry, press, celebrities, and other designers.

The New York Fashion Week in 2009 got a taste of the bad economy when many designers decided to not set up full runways in Bryant Park, but to do smaller presentations that saved time and money. However, time became less of an issue starting with 2009 due to new technologies which allowed designers to showcase their designs all over the world using the internet and new iPhone apps and digital media. Travel time wasted? None. Some models in the Vivienne fashion show even walked carrying mini notebook computers instead of a fancy clutch or a pop-out handbag.

In late 2009, Bryant Park management pressured the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to be held in Damrosch Park at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The semi-annual New York Fashion Week is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It ends up being one of the top four fashion weeks held around the world, with the other top three being held in Paris, Milan, and London.

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion week might have Mercedes in its name but aside from that its most common sponsors include:

• DHL
• Maybelline New York
• Style.
• Samsung Galaxy
• Beck's Sapphire
• Getty Images
• American Express
• TRESemme
• WGSN
• Fiber One
• The New York Times

"Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is held biannually at Lincoln Center, located between West 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues."

The fashion show claims itself to be New York's, "single largest media event" that happens twice a year.

The winter collection is presented in February and the spring collections are presented in September. Around 80 designer shows happen over the course of 8 days in the respective months and about 100,000 fashion industry insiders attend the event making the fashion show a prime opportunity to exchange ideas and compete for business.