CHICTIONARY by Clare Press

(I speak, you speak, we all speak...FASHION)

F’row Word of the Fortnight

Pre-fall (pre-forle) n. No, not pride before a fall, although that indeed was a risk for designers who hadn’t quite hit their creative stride when they offered journos an early look at their moods for A/W‘10 this month.

Keep up now, ladies. If you thought the fashion calendar could be divided neatly into two - spring/summer and autumn/winter - you thought wrong. These days, fashion fans can look forward to showings at least six times a year, and that’s just taking Paris, London, Milan and New York into account.

Each late February/early March and late September/early October, the Ready-to-Wear circus hits the big four. This has long been balanced by the Couture in Paris: Spring in January and Autumn in July (go figure). Once upon a time the latter was all there was; fashion equalled Paris couture and that was that. But recently new rounds of shows have been added at such a dizzying rate that the editors can barely keep up, let alone us civilians.

The Resort collections – A.K.A. Cruise – happen all over the place each May (Chanel commandeered the Venice Lido this year) and give the big names a chance to flog swimwear and kaftans to their clients who winter in the Caribbean or are married to Greek shipping magnates.

Pre-fall is the latest fashion event to be invented by buyers bored of summer sale stock and media-hungry brands eager for greater exposure. What started as literally a sneak peek at the season to come via an early drop for department stores, perhaps with one model posing in the designer’s HQ, has morphed into a full-blown mini season complete with runways and blowing out budgets. What’s next? Apres-couture? Pre-pre-spring? My brain hurts.

In conversation. Hints and tips for daily use.
“Alexander Wang was way off for Pre-Fall this year. All those layers were just soooo serious. He should stick to the body con dresses.”

Your friend at US Vogue asks: “Are you coming to New York for the Pre-Fall? Some of the guys are doing some interesting shows this time.”
You reply: “I wish! They never fly us anywhere if they can help it. Can you believe they made me write the Couture report from Style.com?”

See the last installment of "Chictionary" here. Visit Mrs. Press' blog here.

Yours truly,
Girl With a Satchel