What is Fashion Week in Paris?
People often call the “Big 4” fashion weeks (New York, Paris, London, and Milan) the “Big 4.” But what many people may not know is that the first organized fashion week was held in Paris. Since it started in 1973, the event has been a must-attend for all fashion lovers in France and around the world. The official name of the event is “Semaine des Créateurs de Mode,” but most people just call it “Paris Fashion Week” or “PFW.” There are three types of events at Paris Fashion Week: menswear, haute couture, and ready-to-wear. The word “Haute Couture” is protected by intellectual property copyright. In fact, the Chamber of Haute Couture has very strict rules that the houses must follow in order to be eligible. One of these rules is that you have to come up with at least 35 looks per year, which must include both daytime and evening wear. Only a small number of houses get this name and can be thought of as making “high couture” collections. The French Fashion Federation puts on the fashion week, which has more than 100 shows with big names like Chanel, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent as well as smaller names. If you don’t count money made in stores, the PFW has cost the French capital €400 million.
Where is Paris Fashion Week?
The French capital hosts Paris Fashion Week twice a year, once in the spring/summer and once in the fall/winter. The dates are determined by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. The haute-couture collections, which make up half of the shows, are always shown before the ready-to-wear collections.
For a long time, most of the shows during Paris Fashion Week took place in the Carrousel du Louvre. During Fashion Week, there are also more than a hundred shows and events in different parts of the city. These include the famous Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld shows, which have been held at the Grand Palais for many years.
