A Campus In Style: Stealing attention from France

Fall is usually the season when high fashion gets put on clear display. The season is known for being the best dressed time of the year for everyone. Sweaters, layers, denim, boots and plenty of accessories will dominate throughout the rest of the year, even on our own college campus. You know the signs of fall at UConn: leaves changing colors, pumpkin flavored everything and a plagued influx of girls wearing Uggs. However, the fashion world’s fall season begins in America with the New York Fashion Week.

Fashion Week in New York City has been a huge part of progressive urban culture since its first run in 1943. Then called Press Week, it was originally put on in New York to take attention away from the French fashion scene. Publicist Eleanor Lambert wanted to organize a forum for American journalists, designers and publicists to create their own images of American fashion without any French influence. This tension was born through the German occupation of France during World War II. From Press Week, huge magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar began featuring more American designers, styles and trends.

After gaining more international and domestic publicity and success, Press Week settled into a semi-permanent location at Bryant Park in 1994. A block-long venue, designers would set up displays in large white tents in an outdoor carnival format. It wasn’t until 2009 and 2010 that Fashion Week settled into its current location at Lincoln Center. This was due to a few factors, most notably pressure from Bryant Park management and the Great Recession of 2008. This was also when automotive giant Mercedes-Benz became the official sponsor of Fashion Week in New York City.

The 2013 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (covering Spring and Summer 2013 collections) was recently held in New York City from Sept. 6 through Sept. 13. It is now New York’s single largest media event, which is shocking considering the international acclaim of the city. It also helps that the event is now at Lincoln Center, which is a hub for culture around the world. Throughout the week, over 80 designers showcase their collections, including Mark McNairy, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week also attracts plenty of artists, musicians, fans, buyers and people from all over the world to indulge in a variety of growing American cultural norms.