September: the start of the fashion year

You may be wondering why September is such a big month for fashion. After all, it's when magazines are at their heaviest (Vogue weighs in this month at 4 pounds!), the covers always await unveiling, and, there was even a documentary made about magazines during this month!

So what's the big deal?

September hosts S/S fashion shows for the coming year. It really is the big start of the fashion year since trends tend to last into the following spring and even years after that (remember the "cerulean" scene from The Devil Wears Prada?).

It seems strange that fashion shows in September premier collections for the spring and summer, right? Well, not really.

As soon as a show ends, buyers and stylists start pushing designers to get their hands on (and their clients' bodies into) those garments. Oh, and don't forget, once NYFW is over, quite a few of these designers and their crews hop the pond for Paris and Milan fashion weeks. Then, they leave the buying, selling and loaning in the capable hands of their managerial staff, and start working on the A/W collection.

Back to magazines - this is also the issue that monthly publications mark as their goal. They work all year long (often since the last September) to make a point of evaluating collections and deciding the trends that will epitomize this year's fashion. They really are the gatekeepers of fashion. Hence, journalists and designers alike cowering at the click of Anna Wintour's heels.

Vogue magazines are recognized as the authorities on fashion, though the U.S. and Paris publications have long battled for the title of magazine queen. This is also why it's such a scandal every time the magazines' queens are dethroned. Now that you know, I suggest you go back and watch The Devil Wears Prada, written by a former Vogue employee, and consider what you've learned today.