Fun facts about NYFW, how to measure the success of a fashion brand nowadays + Summer fashion internships 2025 💛
Thanks for reading Inside Fashion! Subscribe to receive it each week in your inbox.
Happy Fashion Month season!
What a start it was with Marc Jacobs’ off-schedule see-now, buy-now show on Monday, staged at the New York Public Library. Then NYFW kicked off yesterday, opening with a 10th-anniversary show of Brandon Maxwell, and Christopher John Rogers returned to the official fashion month calendar after nearly two years off the runway. One of the most anticipated shows this season is Calvin Klein’s comeback to New York Fashion Week today at noon (NY time) after a six-year hiatus, with Veronica Leoni’s debut collection as creative director.
Here you can view the final calendar with all the shows running until Feb 11. Meanwhile, let’s dive a bit into the origins of New York Fashion Week.
3 fun facts about NYFW
1.New York is home to the first-ever fashion week
Did you know that New York is the home of the original Fashion Week? Surprising it was not in Paris, right?
From the late 19th century to the 1940s, the fashion scene was concentrated in Paris, and American designers, editors, and buyers relied on the French houses to look for inspiration to reproduce similar styles. However, the arrival of World War II made it impossible for U.S. journalists to travel to the French fashion capital.
This is when Eleanor Lambert - America’s first fashion publicist - saw a unique opportunity to diverge the attention from Paris and grow the fashion scene in the U.S. She launched the first “Press Week” in New York on July 19, 1943, held annually at the Plaza Hotel. Initially, only the press was invited from all around the country - hence the name “Press Week”.
Although fashion shows staged during Press Week weren’t the first to be held in America, (in 1903, the Ehrich Brothers organized the first fashion show in the country), Press Week is regarded as the first fashion week in the modern sense of its term. This event introduced American designers to the world; before the Press Week, they would stay in the shadows of French designers and were often marked as “unnamed” in fashion publications.
2. The nostalgia of the Bryant Park Era
In 1993, Stan Herman and Fern Mallis, former president and executive director of the CFDA, decided to centralize shows at Bryant Park in the famous white tents and rebranded the event “7th on Sixth”. Before, fashion shows took place in the same period but not in the same place; many were held in the designers’ showrooms, hotels, and famous clubs. This caused a lot of frustration for buyers and editors who had to go from one part of the city to the other to attend these events. Bryant Park came as a perfect central spot: It was big enough to host fashion shows, and it was right on the corner of the Garment District.
To this day, the Bryant Park era is referred to by many industry insiders as the best time of New York Fashion Week. The first designers to show at Bryant Park were Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Anna Sui, Carolina Herrera, Isaac Mizrahi, and Todd Oldham.
3. Helmut Lang is responsible for the fashion month starting in New York
On July 7, 1998, the Belgian designer informed the press that he would change the date of his upcoming spring show, and it totally disrupted the Fashion Week calendar!
See, in the past, the fashion month sequence was Milan-London-Paris-New York, and the collections in New York were presented in November instead of September like nowadays. Then entered Helmut Lang. Opening a studio in downtown Manhattan in 1997, he decided to not only show his collection in New York after years of showing in Paris but also to show it before the Europeans, arguing November was “just too far back for [his] house.”
The fun thing is, that Helmut Lang didn’t mean to change the system and didn’t ask other designers to come along with him, but they did. The next day after his announcement, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan followed suit. And that’s the story of how New York Fashion Week reclaimed its first place in the fashion month calendar, which symbolically makes sense considering it’s where the first Fashion Week took place.
Did you know these facts about NYFW? Which collections are you looking forward to most this season?
What else happened in the industry this week? 💚
Sabato De Sarno leaves Gucci
Amid major shifts in artistic directions, Gucci became the next house to make a creative change, saying goodbye to Sabato De Sarno, who was appointed by the heritage house in January 2023. Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection will be designed by the brand’s design team.
De Sarno’s shift to a more universal styling and a more restrained aesthetic compared to that of his predecessor Alessandro Michele has faced mixed reviews, declining revenues, and little buzz. Often, the collaboration between a brand and a creative director is not a forever, and De Sarno’s exit leaves yet another highly coveted spot to fill in. Any ideas on who it will be?
Casey Cadwallader is rumored to leave Mugler
According to sources, Mugler is set to part ways with Casey Cadwallader, artistic director of eight years. His future plans, or the name of any successor, could not be immediately learned by the press.
Jacquemus inks a deal with l’Oréal
This just in: L’Oréal has made a minority investment in Jacquemus to fund the buzzy French brand, inking a long-term beauty partnership. To recall, last year, Simon Porte Jacquemus announced he was looking for a minority investor to help the label grow.
The Met Gala 2025 dress code is revealed
Suit up! The Metropolitan Museum of Art has picked the MET Gala’s dress code to match the Costume Institute's "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" exhibit: "Tailored for You," a nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear and suiting.
The most fashionable event of the year will take place on May 5th and will be hosted by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams. Anna Wintour will co-chair the 2025 Met Gala, with LeBron James serving as an honorary chair.
Fashion Career Tip
Summer Fashion Internships 2025 💛
Are you looking to start gaining some work experience in the fashion industry?
Internships are the best way to break into the fashion industry, and summer is the perfect time to do it. They usually last from a few weeks to 3 months, so if you are still a student, you can take advantage of your school break.
While summer is not around the corner just yet, February-April is an excellent time to find a summer fashion internship, because most companies hire in advance.
Need help with your applications? In our recent article, we explain where to find summer fashion internships and how to apply + which companies are hiring now 😍 Read it here.
Fashion Campaigns of the Week 💖
Jacquemus and Chanel nailed it this week 👏🏻 Jacquemus shot the “Just a normal day at Jacquemus ateliers” 😅 campaign on iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Chanel tapped Dua Lipa as the face of the new CHANEL 25 handbag, shooting a film in beautiful New York.
What to read this week 📚
How to measure the success of a fashion brand nowadays
The fashion industry has evolved dramatically over the past decade. With the rise of digital platforms, shifting consumer behaviors, and increasing sustainability concerns, what defines a successful fashion brand today is different from previous generations.
This is the new playbook for fashion success: it’s not just about aesthetics but also about experience, innovation, and purpose. Brands that thrive are those that understand cultural shifts, digital engagement, and consumer psychology.
In our recent case study part of our premium newsletter 365 Days of Fashion, we break down the key elements that contribute to a brand’s success in the modern fashion landscape. Read it here.
Fashion Profiles to follow this week
Ferdinando Verderi Creative director who conceived the latest Prada SS 2025 campaign
Robbie Spencer Fashion stylist, he styled looks for Brandon Maxwell’s latest collection
Our Premium Newsletter
Want to go further and enhance your fashion industry knowledge?
Receive fashion industry fundamentals and the latest fashion jobs and internships straight to your inbox?
Upgrade to our paid newsletter 365 Days Of Fashion - your daily e-ncyclopedia of fashion for just 4.91€/month.
When you sign up for our daily newsletter 365 Days of Fashion, you get daily, quick-to-read e-mails straight to your inbox about fashion industry fundamentals:
Behind the scenes of the fashion industry
Case studies of brands and trends
Fashion history analysis
+ Access to The Fashion Jobs Date with the latest jobs and internships every Monday and the monthly Fashion Book Club.
This week we published two case studies: “Do fashion collections lose their spark without a creative director” and “How to measure the success of a fashion brand nowadays” + two history pieces: Why is Hermès’ signature color orange, and why does Fashion Month start in New York.
That’s all for this week!
Forward this email to your fashion friends :)
Giada Graziano, Inside Fashion Editor in Chief and Glam Observer Founder
Margarita Skacenko, Fashion Editor & Community Manager
Follow us on Instagram @glamobserver
Read our website: glamobserver.com
Interested in advertising in Inside Fashion or posting a job offer to reach 40,000 fashion enthusiasts? Email us at newsletter@glamobserver.com