London, NY end fashion week row

NEW YORK - Agence France-Presse

Organizers of fashion weeks in New York and London said on Jan. 17 they had reached agreement on the 2012 dates for the September shows, ending months of dispute in the fashion world.

New York’s fashion week will be held from Sept. 6-13 and followed by London’s from Sept. 14-18, according to a joint statement by the Council of Fashion designers of America and the British Fashion Council.

The agreement ends months of bickering over the dates to avoid conflicts with shows in the other major fashion capitals, Milan and Paris, whose dates are unchanged. Milan’s shows will be from Sept. 19-25 and the Paris fashion week will be from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3.

The dispute began last year when New York organizers sought to move back the dates for the shows to avoid conflict with the Labor Day holiday which falls on the first weekend of September.

The statement said both organizations “remain committed to finding a long term solution that would see a confirmed fashion season where brands and designer businesses in all four fashion capitals (New York, London, Milan and Paris) can plan for the long term and when exceptional circumstances arise there is dialogue and empathy to find a solution that works for all.”

The New York council had cited a 2008 deal under which its fashion week would begin the second Thursday of September. London responded by pushing back its dates, which threatened to overlap with the Milan week.

The Italian designers, who announced the 2012 dates in March 2010, refused to change and denounced the moves by New York and London.

Each of the cities holds fashion weeks in the spring and fall.