[Wanderlust Tips April 2018] You have two great passions: travelling and fashion, do not miss trips to the fashion capitals of the world to have the opportunity to participate in events such as New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. This is a chance for you to not only explore a new land, but also show your fashion style.
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2018 TREND
Starting in 2018, the trend of travel combined with watching international fashion shows becomes increasingly popular. Fashion capital cities attract fashion devotees from around the world to come and be immersed in the space of passion and fashion, the places for them to express their personality through fashionable outfits and explore the unique culture and landscape of the destination, and enjoy shopping time.
Every year, the world’s major fashion weeks take place respectively: New York Fashion Week (USA), London Fashion Week (England), Milan Fashion Week (Italy) and Paris Fashion Week (France). Each fashion week takes place twice a year in two main seasons, from January to April, the designers launch Autumn-Winter collections, and from September to November, they lauch the Spring – Summer collections. The fashion week for each season of the year will be held many months preceding that season to help the media and consumers predict the fashion designs of that season.
DESTINATIONS FOR FASHION
New York, London, Milan, Paris are home to four greatest events of the fashion industry, so these are the four most interesting destinations for travel.
1. New York, USA
Many designers choose New York City as a place to work and develop their career. The fashion industry chooses this city to hold many famous fashion events, and the most significant one is the New York Fashion Week.
New York Fashion Week was established in 1943 in New York. This fashion week is held annually in February and September and lasts for 7-9 days. This is the time when international collections will be presented to customers, the press and the public.
However, major names in the fashion industry such as Chanel, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci do not appear in the New York Fashion Week. They only showcase their latest haute couture collection at the Fashion Weeks in Milan, London and Paris. Meanwhile, New York Fashion Week is home to more affordable ready-to-wear brands. In 2018, New York Fashion Week launched its Autumn-Winter collections from 8th-16th February and will release the Spring-Summer collections from 6th-14th September. This would be a great time for fashion enthusiasts to make a trip to New York.
New York is a convergence center of cultures, arts, architecture, history and entertainment. The “Big Apple” is best known for its iconic Freedom Statue or the soaring Empire State Building as a testament to the enormous historic and appealing beauty to its visitors. You can also visit the zoo or lie on the green lawns of Central Park.The weather and climate in New York are divided into four seasons like in Vietnam: Spring (March – June), Summer (June – September), Autumn (September – December), and Winter (December – March next year). Each season features its own beauty that no other season has. Therefore, New York is a great destination for you to visit at any time of the year.
The United States is a great nation, so the transportation is strongly developed. There are a lot of means of public transportation for you to choose from during your trip. This helps you to easily get to famous tourist attractions in New York. Some kinds of popular modes of transportation in New York are subways, buses, taxis, and bicycles.The must-try delicious traditional foods in New York are sausage sandwiches, donuts, and New York cheeseburgers. Besides the tasty cuisine, egg cream is a favorite and popular amongst many New Yorkers. It helps cool you down in the heat of the day, and the fatty taste of milk, syrups, eggs, and cream will make you remember the flavor of this city.
2. London, England
London is one of the most attractive tourist cities in the world. If you have a chance to travel to this beautiful city of England, you will almost reach the whole Europe because it seems that this city owns all of the characteristics of Europe, which are ancient, modest, dreamy, romantic, simple yet vibrant and bustling.
Not only does it attract visitors by Leicester Square, Westminster Palace, London Tower Bridge and many other attractions, London has also enthralled visitors by being one of the world’s most developed fashion industries.
The fashion style here is nostalgic, elegant yet trendy. And when refering to London fashion, we surely should not miss the London Fashion Week. The annual event was established in 1984 by the British Fashion Council. This is the fashion week of the sponsors, and it’s a great trade event that draws great attention from the press. In 2018, London Fashion Week performed its impressive autumn – winter collections in February and will launch its Spring-Summer Collection on 14 th- 18 th September.
After satisfying yourself with the impressive fashion shows of London Fashion Week, it is recommended to take time to explore every corner of London. The King’s Road is known as the centre of London fashion with countless shops selling state-of-the-art outfits, or Brick Lane serves excellent traditional food at affordable prices as well as fish and chips which are relatively cheap.
3. Milan, Italy
The next one is Milan, Milan is famous and considered as the trendiest city. In particular, this city is also known as “the shopping paradise” with countless shops, markets, shopping malls, exhibition fairs and the world’s most prestigious galleries. Therefore, it is undeniable that this place is the “cradle” of the fashion industry, creating a lot of prominent trends in the world. The fashion style here is different from New York and London’s with new and unique outfits featuring the breath of the modern world.
Travelling to Milan, you will see many fashionistas wearing rebellious yet fashionable clothes characterizing Italian culture. The annual greatest Fashion Week in Milan – Milan Fashion Week was established in 1958 by the National Chamber for Italian Fashion. This annual event features more than 40 fashion shows in each season, it is a major fashion event in Milan, making Milan a famous city with tourists from all over the world. In 2018, visitors can visit Milan to attend Milan Fashion Week 2018 on 19th- 25th September.
Coming to Milan, you definitely should not miss the opportunity to visit timeless icons such as the Duomo and one of the world’s largest shopping malls Vittorio Emanuele or Milan Cathedral built in Gothic architecture, with 35 towers. It took more than five centuries to build this church.
Like other cities in Italy, the transportation system in Milan is very modern with a lot of transport options for you such as cars, motorbikes, buses, trains, and bicycles. However, visitors coming here often choose buses and trains for travelling due to their cheap fares, convenient routes and safety. For an easier journey, you should get yourself a map of public transportation at train and bus stations to know the timetable.Do not miss the chance to enjoy Milanese dishes like Pizza, Gelato, Lasagna, Spaghetti and Risotto – the most delicious dish in Milan.
4. Paris, France
Paris – the city of love and nostalgia. Many poets, writers, and journalists have written about their love for this city, and it is hard not to love Paris. This land appears to be alluring in its culture, elegance, class and style. Hemingway said: “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”Paris is large, and it takes a lifetime to discover the beauty of this city.
The most famous tourist attractions here are the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Champs Élysées, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Many fashion designers were born in this beautiful capital such as Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and even Christian Dior. And if you want to admire the latest designs of these brands, you should attend Paris Fashion Week. Paris Fashion Week was established in 1973 and takes place annually at various venues in the city.
In 2018, Paris Fashion Week has two main events: the Autumn-Winter collection from 27th February to 6th March and Spring-Summer collections from 25th September to 3rd October.To choose the best time to visit Paris and attend fashion events, visitors should also note that Paris has hot and cold seasons which are much differentiated. In the summer, it is sunny but not too hot but you will have to face crowded tourists flocking to the capital of France. In winter, it is cold and cloudy.
The best time to visit Paris is at the end of April or May when it is still cold but pleasant, or in the autumn when the weather is very nice. From April to November is the low season; you can save maximum travel costs when traveling to Paris during this time.French cuisine is quite sophisticated and delicate; some must-try dishes are Macarons, Crepe, and Clafoutis. They are not only delicious and attractive but their forms are very diverse and beautiful.
FASHION TOURISM IN VIETNAM
In addition to the four major fashion centers mentioned above, today, fashion weeks also take place in many other cities in the world such as Berlin (Germany), Madrid (Spain), Rio De Janeiro (Brazil), Shanghai (China), and Tokyo (Japan). In Vietnam, in recent years, the Vietnam International Fashion Week (VIFW) often take place in Autumn – Winter and Spring – Summer.
Besides, throughout the years, there are many fashion events of famous Vietnamese designers to release their new collections. For example, in 2017, with the aim of marking the 10th anniversary of his career, designer Adrian Anh Tuan held an anniversary show with his collection “Her Legend” at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort (Da Nang.) In the luxurious space of the InterContinental resort, Adrian Anh Tuan’s exquisite and elegant dresses seem to show off their most impressive features, highlighting the seductive beauty of women.
Designer Do Manh Cuong also often chooses impressive locations to launch his new collections. In 2017, he chose to launch the “Life in Color” collection at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort on the beautiful beach of Phu Quoc island. And in May, designer Do Manh Cuong will continue to choose an outdoor venue on a golf course at Laguna Lagoon Resort (Hue), to hold the 2018 Spring – Summer show, promising to bring surprises for fashion devotees. These fashion shows are all held at popular tourist destinations, offering tourists both amazing fashionable parties and a great time to enjoy the wonderful nature.
The domestic and international fashion weeks or events are a playground for fashion devotees to comfortably express their own style. For anyone who has the passion for both travel and fashion, the trend of travel combined with watching international fashion shows would be the first choice. This journey will bring you an unforgettable experience as you can not only discover a new land but also indulge yourself in the flow of the fashion industry.
Kim Oanh – Vân Ly | Wanderlust Tips