Fashion week is an extended trade show for the apparel industry, which lasts approximately one week. The event is held twice each year. In the spring, brands and designers showcase new styles for the fall season of that year, and in the fall they show styles for the spring of the following year.

Though fashion week is hosted in many cities around the world, the most well-known versions take place in New York City, London, Milan, and Paris. These cities are deemed the fashion capitals of the world because they are the centers of production, commerce, and media for the apparel industry.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion_capital

A major function of fashion week is to allow buyers from boutiques and department stores to view and choose what to carry in their stores in upcoming seasons. However, the events have grown in popularity, garnering frequent celebrity attendance and significant attention from the general press. For most shows in the major fashion capitals, attendance is by invitation only.http://fashion.about.com/od/fashionweeks/p/nyfashionweek.htm The general public cannot buy tickets for shows. The first few rows of seating at fashion shows are considered to be areas of prestige. Those seated in the first row are usually high-profile fashion magazine editors, buyers, and celebrities.

The first official fashion week on United States record took place in New York City in 1943, although then it was called Press Week. Before this event Americans in the apparel industry traveled to Europe to see presentations from couturiers in Paris. But with the German invasion of France in 1940, travel to the country was no longer possible. In response to the situation, fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert organized the first Press Week, which featured the work of American designers. As a result, designers in the U.S. began to receive more recognition from an industry and public that previously only validated fashion that originated in France.http://www.slate.com/id/2135561/

The success of this early fashion week inspired other cities to found their own versions of the seasonal event. London, Paris and Milan were among the early adopters with founding years of 1961, 1973 and 1979, respectively.http://www.thefashionspot.com/featured-stories/news/21440-the-history-of-fashion-week

In recent years, the prominence of the fashion blogger has grown immensely at fashion weeks across the globe. Bloggers have even been seen seated in the front row at shows next to industry big wigs like Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2009/09/milan-fashion-week-bloggers-go-front-row/ However, the rise of blogger influence has not been welcomed by everyone in the industry. Street-style blogger Tommy Ton reported via Twitter that at one spring/summer 2010 show he was seated next to famous photographer Mario Testino, but once Testino discovered he was seated next to a blogger he got up and left.http://twitter.com/JakandJilBlog/status/4342990722