Fashion show

Fashion show

A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing. In a typical fashion show, models walk the catwalk dressed in the clothing created by the designer. Occasionally, fashion shows take the form of installations, where the models are static, standing or sitting in a constructed environment. The order in which each model walks out wearing a specific outfit is usually planned in accordance to the statement that the designer wants to make about his or her collection. The way that each outfit is presented on the catwalk isn't necessarily the way the designer is trying to make people wear his or her creations in everyday life. In this instances, this is more of an intellectual/artistic construction of the designer for the same purpose of making a statement or presenting a particular idea. It is then up to the audience to not only try to understand what the designer is trying to say by the way the collection is being presented, but to also visually de-construct each outfit and try to appreciate the detail and craftsmanship of every single piece. A wide range of contemporary designers tend to produce their shows as theatrical productions with elaborate sets and added elements such as live music or a variety of technological component like holograms, for example.

History

Because "the topic of fashion shows remains to find its historian," [Valerie Steele, chief curator and director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, quoted in Fortini, Amanda. [http://www.slate.com/id/2135561/ How the Runway Took Off: A Brief History of the Fashion Show.] Slate Magazine (Feb. 8, 2006).] the earliest history of fashion shows remains obscure.

In the 1800s, "fashion parades" periodically took place in Paris couture salons.Fortini, Amanda. [http://www.slate.com/id/2135561/ How the Runway Took Off: A Brief History of the Fashion Show.] Slate Magazine (Feb. 8, 2006).]

American retailers imported the concept of the fashion show in the early 1900s. The first American fashion show likely took place in 1903 in the New York City store Ehrlich Brothers. By 1910, large department stores such as Wanamaker's in New York City and Philadelphia were also staging fashion shows. These events showed couture gowns from Paris or the store's copies of them; they aimed to demonstrate the owners' good taste and capture the attention of female shoppers.

By the 1920s, retailers across the United States held fashion shows. Often, these shows were theatrical, presented with narratives, and organized around a theme (e.g. Parisian, Chinese, or Russian). These shows enjoyed huge popularity through mid-century, sometimes attracting thousands of customers and gawkers.

In the 1970s and 1980s, American designers began to hold their own fashion shows in private spaces apart from such retailers. In the early 1990s, however, many in the fashion world began to rethink this strategy. After several mishaps during shows in small, unsafe locations, " [t] he general sentiment was, 'We love fashion but we don't want to die for it,'" recalls Fern Mallis, then executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In response to these shows, the New York shows were centralized in Bryant Park during fashion week in late 1993.

See also

*Fashion
*Fashion week

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • fashion show — UK US noun [countable] [singular fashion show plural fashion shows] an event at which models show new styles of clothes Thesaurus: fashion industry …   Useful english dictionary

  • fashion show — fashion ,show noun count an event at which models show new styles of clothes …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • fashion show — n an event at which new styles of clothes are shown to the public …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Fashion show —    A venue for designers to showcase their new collections to the public that involves fashion models, sound, lighting, and a crew of others who help stage the runway show. Industry press and noted retailers are invited as well as celebrities and …   Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry

  • fashion show — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms fashion show : singular fashion show plural fashion shows an event at which models show new styles of clothes …   English dictionary

  • fashion show — n. to hold, organize a fashion show * * * organize a fashion show to hold …   Combinatory dictionary

  • Fashion Show Mall — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Fashion Show Mall Ubicación Paradise, Nevada Dirección …   Wikipedia Español

  • Fashion Show Mall — Vue du centre commercial. Pays …   Wikipédia en Français

  • fashion show — show which features the current styles of dress …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Fashion Show Mall — Infobox shopping mall shopping mall name = Fashion Show Las Vegas image width = 200 caption = Fashion Show Mall as seen from the Strip with The Cloud in the center location = Paradise, Nevada address = nowrap|3200 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”