Despite being an opportunity for fashion lovers and celebrities all over the world to gather and gawk at models coming down runways, fashion weeks actually serve a unique purpose and have been around for a very long time. In fact, the first fashion week is said to have taken place in New York (of course) back to 1943 - during World War II and at a time when travel to Paris was unavailable. Fashion buyers needed an alternative to French fashion and New York Fashion Week was born out of necessity. Today, fashion weeks have exploded. With the "Big Four" taking place in Paris, New York, Milan, and London, and with several other notable fashion weeks in major cities all over the globe. And what was once a necessity has turned into a cultural phenomenon of creative and artistic expression amongst the world's most stylish trendsetters and leaders. But at its core, the unique purpose is still being fulfilled: to give an inside look into the trends of womenswear and menswear for the upcoming seasons. With each fashion week, it's an opportunity for the biggest influencers to take their cue and get inspiration from the most sought after fashion minds.
Phoenix Fashion Week was also born out of necessity and has a unique purpose of its own. About 10 years ago, Brian Hill saw a major void that needed to be filled. He saw that in Phoenix there was a lack of exposure to trendsetting fashion so he did what most visionaries do - got down to work on filling the void.
Phoenix Fashion Week is absolutely a necessity for the sake of our relatively young city that has much to offer and is quickly developing its own identity. But far beyond the purpose of exposing us to haute couture, there's an even greater purpose of building up the local community. Brian's passion for helping emerging designers and stylists isn't just talk, even though he literally has a podcast called Fashion Rewired that's available on iTunes.... he has transformed Phoenix Fashion Week into a brand that serves up various opportunities throughout the year. Now designers, stylists, and models have resources to help them navigate the waters of an industry that can sometimes be shallow.
Phoenix Fashion Week at Talking Stick Resort
Learn more about Phoenix Fashion Week here
