Fashion Week is a highly-anticipated event for fashion enthusiasts around the world. But with so many runways and designers, knowing who is showing when and where can be confusing.

Here is an overview of when are where fashion week is held… 

The Big 4

Typically, when someone mentions fashion week they are referring to what is known as “the big 4” – New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Each of these cities hosts a fashion week twice a year in February and September where fashion houses present their womenswear ready-to-wear collections. Ready-to-wear, or Prêt-à-porter in French, essentially means that the pieces can be taken off of the runway to be worn by the customer immediately.

Different designers show their collections in different cities. Which city will typically depend on where their studio (or atelier) is based.

Here is a list of some designers that usually show in each of the big 4 cities…

New York – Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch, Tommy Hilfiger, and Coach

London – Burberry, Roksanda, Di Petsa, 16Arlington, David Koma, JW Anderson, and Richard Quinn

Milan – Versace, Fendi, Ferragamo, Max Mara, Prada, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, and Giorgio Armani

Paris –  Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Chloé, and Balmain

Read the latest Fashion Week highlights here.

Couture Fashion Week

Paris is also home to Haute Couture Fashion week that takes place in January and July each year. Fashion houses need to meet a certain criteria set by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) to be considered a Haute Couture brand. Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga, Elie Saab, and Schiaparelli are all examples of fashion houses that present a Couture collection each year. It is a chance for the designers of the houses to showcase their creativity and innovation. Unlike ready-to-wear, the designs presented during Couture Fashion Week are not available to be bought online or in stores. Instead, couture is made-to-order, by hand, often for high-end clients, royalty and celebrities.

Read the latest from Couture Fashion Week here.

International

Besides the big four fashion week cities where most of the shows are held, several other cities around the world host their own fashion weeks.

Copenhagen Fashion Week is possibly the most well-known. Just like the big four, CPHFW showcases twice a year, albeit in January and August. It has gained a reputation in recent years as being the most diverse and sustainable of all the fashion weeks, with each designer that shows during CPHFW required to meet 18 sustainability standards. These designers include Ganni, Rotate, and Stine Goya.

Read the latest from Copenhagen Fashion Week here.

Miami Swim Week takes place annually in mid-July to showcase swimwear and beachwear collections from brands such as KOBU, Cupshe, Ema Savahl, and Lovechelle.

Other notable cities that host their own fashion week include Berlin, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Melbourne.

Cruise/Resort Fashion Week

Just in case the annual fashion week schedule isn’t busy enough, some designers also present cruise/resort collections in May and June. “Resort” “Holiday” or “Pre-Spring” are mid-season collections that brands show between the two main seasons of February and September. They were originally designed for wealthy cruise guests who needed a new wardrobe for their travels.

As there are fewer restrictions with Resort collections, brands can choose where they present their shows. Many designers opt for lavish locations such as Los Angeles, Seoul, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City. But ultimately the destination is often based on brand heritage or thematic storytelling.

Read the latest cruise collection highlights here.

Individual schedules for every fashion week can be found on the official fashion week website of each city and is usually released 4-6 week before the event.

Featured image courtesy of Chanel.