New York Fashion Week originally began as Press Week in 1943.
Publicist Eleanor Lambert created Press Week during the Second World War. Travel to Paris was difficult, and American fashion journalists had previously relied heavily on French couture for inspiration and coverage. Lambert’s event gave them a coordinated way to see American designers’ collections.
The event helped raise the profile of US fashion and encouraged newspapers and magazines to cover domestic designers. It was later known as the New York Dress Institute events and eventually developed into the modern New York Fashion Week system.
Press Week is not the same as a single permanent venue. The event has moved between locations over the decades, reflecting changes in New York’s fashion infrastructure.