The Fashion Week Problem Solved?

Remember when Milan caused an uproar by wanting to change their fashion week schedule next September, which would have overlapped London Fashion week or NY Fashion week, and made editors choose which Fashion Week was basically more important to go to. Then the fashion holy grail  Condé Nast (Vogue) stepped in and Condé Nast International chairman Jonathan Newhouse personally contacted Mario Boselli, head of the Italian Chamber of Fashion to inform him that Vogue editors (worldwide) did not want any schedule changes.

Vogue has a lot of power but it does not control the fashion calendar. Apparently, the “governing bodies” of each fashion week (Paris, Milan, London, NY) reached an official agreement in 2008 to begin each season on the second Thursday in February and September. However, Milan’s Boselli claims the second Thursday rule was only for a three-year period, and thus expires this year, while the CFDA and the British Fashion Council maintain it was a permanent pact.

Paris head of the Chambre Syndicale, Didier Grumbach, was neutral about the whole thing and told Women's Wear Daily that they were willing to compromise.

The latest news in the ongoing spring 2013 fashion week scheduling conflict between the fashion capitals comes from Milan’s Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, who have been the main instigators in this mix up.

To recap: Milan consciously set their September 2012 fashion week schedule to overlap with New York and London because Labor Day forced New York to push the fashion weeks back a bit and Milan wasn’t down with that. Despite Vogue editors threatening to skip Milan and the CFDA’s attempts to reason with them, Milan stood their ground. A couple of weeks ago, the CFDA (NY), who has been on the side of London Fashion Week, issued a proposal agreeing to move their dates back a week on the condition that Milan and Paris agree to the second-Thursday rule for the long term.

Should Milan accept the plan, the September 2012 shows in New York would run from Sept. 6 to 13, and London from Sept. 14 to 18. From 2013 onwards, the show seasons would always kick off on the second Thursday of February and September.

Today, Milan responded with their own proposal, which basically conforms to the aforementioned proposal by the CFDA, with a couple of conditions to show that they aren’t just rolling over.

The most contentious part of this is the condition that it asks New York to give London an extra day. Previously, London Fashion Week consisted of 5 women’s days and one menswear day, but most editors have been unable to attend London’s menswear day because it conflicted with the first day of Milan, so instead of giving London one of their days, Milan is essentially pushing their problem onto New York, who have already graciously moved their dates back an entire week. It’s always something, isn’t it? We’re looking forward to hearing that feedback as well.
It looks like tensions surrounding the dates for the Big Four fashion weeks are temporarily over, following yesterday's joint announcement from the BFC and CFDA - the bodies representing London and New York respectively- which stated that they will be bringing forward their September 2012 fashion week dates.

As it stands, New York Fashion Week will take place from 6 to 13 September 2012, and London Fashion Week will remain a five-day event, with shows happening from 14 to 18 September 2012.This has temporarily settled the schedule conflict that was sparked after Milan moved its fashion week to start earlier. But the BFC and CFDA hinted that a long-term agreement between New York, London, Milan and Paris weeks is yet to be reached.