The Fashion Big Top

Every year, twice a year, fashion comes to New York. The mecca for fashionable men and women everywhere, Bryant Park Fashion Week is a seen and be seen kind of event. A who's who of the industry, we see who's the toast of the town, the It Girl, et cetera.

Now, it seems that everything is getting scaled back. Blame it on the recession if you will, because grandiose is no longer in style.

In an article for WWD found here, written by Veronique Highland, we witness the symbolic death of fashion week, as the iconic Week is being moved from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center.

A look back on the past decade and a half spent there:

The tents opened in 1993, with a DKNY show. The tents were a welcome surprise, as in the past most shows were conducted in cramped showrooms. The general consensus? The tents? good. The clothes? Eh. They could stand to liven up a bit.

And so they did. But so did the festivities within. Soon, sponsors became involved, much like a sporting event or an Olympic team. The giveaways and goody bags added that final cherry on top. Out went glamour, in came free pizza.

Celebrities soon began filling into the shows. Paparazzi of course ensued, causing even more hysteria than normal. Sometimes, in an effort to fill seats, C-list celebrities were invited to attend.

But now that the venue is moving, what can be expected? The sweet smell of success? Or a slap in the face and a "What were we thinking?!" moment. Perhaps a mixture of the two. While tradition is held dear to most people's hearts, and change comes grudgingly (I'm included in that one), the unknown is quite exciting. Fashion is moving into a new era, and perhaps the current situation in the world has us all tightening our belts and rolling up our sleeves.