New York Fashion Week

53 journalists from all over the U.S. stepped into the neo-Rococo ballrooms of the Plaza Hotel and the Art Deco salons of the Pierre. They were given an exclusive preview, six months before the general public, of the ingenuity of American couturiers, finally freed from Paris’s influence. 

The first New York Fashion Week, initially called "Press Week," was organized by Eleanor Lambert in 1943 to promote American fashion during World War II, when designers could not travel to Paris. This event shifted the focus from French to American designers and led to increased coverage in major fashion magazines like Vogue. By the 1950s, it had grown in importance and was known as the "Press Week of New York," helping establish the city's prominence in the global fashion industry.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), led by President Stan Herman and Executive Director Fern Mallis, centralized New York Fashion Week, evolved from “Press Week.” They consolidated various events under one umbrella and staged them in Bryant Park, branding the event as "7th on Sixth." This move standardized and formalized New York Fashion Week, further elevating its status as a significant global fashion event. The use of white tents at Bryant Park became an iconic symbol of the event's new identity.