A beginner's guide to fashion week

The fashion show as we know it first started in the 1800s. Parisian designers, who created outfits for royalty and rich socialites, periodically held shows in private rooms of swanky hotels to show off their latest collections. They were extremely exclusive affairs, and even the models tended to be rich young women who the designer particularly favoured. The wealthy women in attendance would generally buy clothes for the entire season ahead - no traipsing down the high street for this lot.

Fast forward a couple of centuries, and the fashion show is almost unrecognisable. Cavernous tents, crowds of paparazzi, and celebrities fighting bloggers for a place on the front row. The shows dictate trends for the season ahead, and are probably the most important date in the calendar for those with an interest in trends. 

There are four main fashion capitals, who each hold a fashion week; New York, London, Milan and Paris. Many other stylish cities - including Moscow, Sydney and Stockholm - host their own fashion weeks, but the big four remain the most important. 

Each of the big four has a site where the 'tents' are positioned. By tent, think a big wedding marquee - but posher. These tents are where the main shows are held. In New York, it's Lincoln Center; in London, it's Somerset House; in Milan, a selection of historic buildings play host; and in Paris, shows take place in the Carrousel du Louvre. As well as the main sites, many designers show in their choice of location, anywhere in the city - somewhere interesting and atmospheric, or somewhere quirky and cool.

There are two main seasons in the fashion world; Autumn/Winter [or Fall/Winter, if you're not English] and Spring/Summer. The shows are held a few months in advance of the season they're showing - so in September you'll see shows packed with bikinis and dresses for the next Spring/Summer, and in February you'll see shows with thick coats and knitwear for Autumn/Winter. 

As well as the two main seasons, many designers now show 'resort' or 'cruise' collections - basically a sneaky way of fitting in an extra collection. These shows, as the name suggests, consist of holiday clothes, and are traditionally shown in winter to wealthy clients who will be heading off on a cruise of holiday in the sun.

Some designers also have 'pre-collections' - sort of a warm-up for what you can expect to see in their main show!

Most designers show on the catwalk, but for those on a budget or with new, smaller labels, there are other options. A salon show features models sitting around or walking through a swanky hotel room or boutique, while guests mingle and take a look at the clothes up close. An exhibition is similar to a salon show, but has the clothes on mannequins, rather than models. A trunk show is a sale show, where designers present items directly to shop owners or buyers, for them to then purchase and retail.

With difficulty! Designers invite whoever they want to a show, starting with respected industry press, fashion industry figures, and celebrity guests - who they mainly invite to get people talking. Very few shows - if any - have tickets available for the general public to purchase, but most fashion week organisers provide contact information for the designers' PRs - so you can always get in touch with them and beg!