It’s fashion week season — New York has wrapped, London is underway, and Milan and Paris are up next, ready to unveil the season’s newest looks. According to two West Virginia University experts, these events affect the evolution of both fashion and society.
Angela Uriyo and Colleen Moretz, associate professors at the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media, are available to discuss the global impacts of fashion weeks.
Quotes:
“Major fashion weeks return this season in New York, Paris, London and Milan, drawing millions of viewers through livestreams, social media and celebrity-filled front rows, but the origins of fashion week consisted of shows that were private, intimate, invitation only events that controlled those who had access to designers, trends and influence. They were not spectacles set on global scale nor were they driven by celebrity culture, but economics.
“During fashion week, designers and brands present carefully curated narratives about identity, luxury and belonging. Increasingly, designers use unconventional locations and immersive environments to shape how their collections are experienced, extending the runway beyond clothing alone. What appears on the runway is not simply fashion, but a broader story about cultural value and meaning.
“The haute couture collections are made using the finest workmanship/craftmanship and are not mass produced. They are reserved for custom orders and thus serve an exclusive clientele. Many of these fashion luxury brands also have ready to wear collections at various price points that cater to different target markets. These ready to wear collections are what you find at different retailers.
“While social media and live streaming suggest a more accessible fashion week, the underlying systems of exclusion remain largely intact. In many ways, visibility has simply replaced exclusivity. Understanding the history of fashion week reveals why debates around inclusion, sustainability and representation continue to emerge. These events were built on hierarchy, and expanding the audience does not dismantle that structure.” — Angela Uriyo, associate professor, WVU College of Creative Arts and Media
“Paris Fashion Week continues to function as the primary inspiration of fashion leadership within the global fashion landscape. Its placement at the forefront of the fashion calendar is not incidental but intentional. Designers, buyers, editors and brands closely analyze Paris collections to identify emerging silhouettes, textiles, themes and design approaches that inform and inspire both creative direction and market planning. As sustainability concerns and digital acceleration continue to reshape the fashion industry, Paris Fashion Week remains a key arena in which these creative and ideological agendas are established, subsequently informing fashion weeks worldwide.
“Because Paris Fashion Week is now instantly visible worldwide, designers increasingly use the runway to communicate values as well as products, enabling sustainability, craftsmanship and ethical production to be seen and understood immediately. Luxury now operates within a broader spectrum, where high-end fashion maintains prestige while engaging a wider audience through accessible narratives and digital circulation.
“Social media has fundamentally altered this system of influence. Today, Paris Fashion Week unfolds in real time across Instagram, TikTok, livestreams and digital platforms, transforming the timeline between runway presentation and public access that once separated runway presentation from public consumption. Images and videos are disseminated globally within seconds, allowing audiences far beyond the traditional fashion elite to engage with collections simultaneously. This immediacy has shifted Paris Fashion Week from a closed industry ritual to a highly visible cultural event, where designers speak not only to editors and buyers but also to consumers, critics, influencers and creators worldwide.
“New York Fashion Week functions as a highly visible cultural spectacle, where exclusivity is less central and fashion is embedded throughout the city. Meanwhile, many other cities across the United States have adopted their own versions of Fashion Week, reflecting widespread enthusiasm for identifying emerging trends and innovation. Viewed through an academic lens, fashion week functions as both a mirror and a mechanism, reflecting cultural values while actively shaping how fashion is produced, consumed and understood in an increasingly interconnected world.” —Colleen Moretz, associate professor, WVU College of Creative Arts and Media