Fashion Gets Ready for its Star Turn at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week NY

It's not just about the clothes. It's fashion as entertainment.

As the tents go up and the runways go down at Lincoln Center, fashionistas from around the world are preparing to camp out at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

Tomorrow is the first day of the Fall 2012 runway season at New York's fashion week. Designers' collections are scheduled to be shown in Lincoln Center and other venues in New York City until the following Thursday (February 16).

What began as an industry trade show dubbed "Press Week" in the 1940s, it gave American designers the opportunity to present their collections to fashion journalists.

"It used to be a real industrial fashion show and the people who came to the fashion shows were not celebrities, but people who owned stores or worked for big department store chains that actually ordered the clothes. That meant that the clothes were shown, and they often were shown just in a showroom, rather than a big theater or a big runway situation," explained David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group, a New York-based fashion forecasting firm.

"Those clothes were actually produced - so many of the clothes that actually come down the runways now are not ever made. They're simply made for the shows," Wolfe added.

Held in New York City's Bryant Park for 16 years, the shows moved to Lincoln Center in 2010. The twice-a-year event is now considered an exercise in entertainment and image building and brand recognition.

"One of the things about moving to Lincoln Center, we have now over 80,000 square feet of space here. So we have four different distinct venues, which really allows the opportunity for new designers, up-and-coming designers. So the big designers can show here, but also the new talent coming into the industry, which is really important for the vitality of fashion over all," said Lisa Holladay, manager of brand experience marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the events held in February and September generate a total of $40 million (USD) to local businesses, hotels and restaurants in New York.

This season Wolfe predicts we will see pieces inspired by the 1920s due to the popularity of Oscar-nominated film "The Artist," with color leading the way.

"Very, very rich, some jewel tones, some bright accents, the surprise of some winter pastels. And this makes a big change and really - it's color that's moving fashion forward because the fashion styles and silhouettes are pretty much what they have been, just slowly evolving, but color is almost revolutionary now," Wolfe told Reuters.

Over 90 designers will present their collections during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York from February 9 to February 16.