The handbook / know the industry
The Guide
Straight answers to the questions everyone has about fashion week — what it is, how the calendar really works, and how new faces get in. Factual, sourced, and free of the usual myths.
Basics
14 min read
What is Fashion Week? The complete guide
Fashion week is a trade event first: buyers and press, not a public festival. Who it is for, the Big Four, and who should skip the hype.
11 min read
How to read the Cast Index (and when to ignore a rank)
What an Index Rating is, what it is not, when Rising beats a number, and who should skip the Global 50 entirely.
Calendar
12 min read
The fashion week calendar, explained
Why shows happen months before the season, what SS and AW mean, and how couture, menswear and resort sit around the Big Four.
Careers
13 min read
How to become a runway model (honestly)
What scouts actually look for, how to find a reputable agency, and the payment scams to walk away from. No paid-to-walk myth.
16 min read
Modelling at fashion week: the complete guide
How casting really works, what you need, the legitimate routes in, money, under-18 rules, and the scams to avoid.
8 min read
Modelling under 18: what you need to know
Extra protections for young models, how to start safely, and why The Cast Index is 18+ for submissions.
9 min read
Managing money as a new model
How you get paid, why you should budget for tax, and the money traps to avoid early in a modelling career.
Beauty
11 min read
What is runway beauty? Hair, makeup and the season’s looks
How show hair and makeup are decided, who leads them, and how a look travels from runway to shelf — without pretending we tested every product.
14 min read
K-beauty vs J-beauty vs UK glow
Three origin markets, three jobs on a face: Korean prep, Japanese complexion polish, British glow. How the desk uses them — and who should skip the comparison.
City guides
12 min read
New York Fashion Week: the insider guide
Who runs NYFW, when it happens, why it opens the season, and who should skip the tents-and-celebrities version of the story.
12 min read
London Fashion Week: the insider guide
The Big Four’s laboratory: BFC, dates, why London is the talent pipeline, and who should skip the “always avant-garde” myth.
11 min read
Milan Fashion Week: the insider guide
CNMI, dates, why Milan is houses and craft, and when to skip it for London experimentation or Paris couture.
13 min read
Paris Fashion Week: the insider guide
FHCM, why Paris closes the season, how couture is a different calendar, and who should skip the “everything is couture” myth.
10 min read
Lagos Fashion Week: the insider guide
West Africa’s flagship week: Omoyemi Akerele, Style House Files, why it is a talent engine, and who should skip a Big-Four-only map.
9 min read
Jakarta Fashion Week: the insider guide
Southeast Asia’s largest week: 2008 origins, modest fashion, batik, and why it belongs on a global casting map.
10 min read
São Paulo Fashion Week: the insider guide
Latin America’s pre-eminent week: 1995 founding, 2009 diversity quotas, and how 2026’s October edition sits next to Rio.
13 min read
Seoul Fashion Week: the insider guide
Government-backed since 2000, staged at Dongdaemun Design Plaza. The 25th anniversary season — and why Seoul is not a Big Four satellite.
13 min read
Tokyo Fashion Week: the insider guide
Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo: Asia’s largest week, avant-garde and streetwear, and a disputed “Big Five” claim. Who runs it, and who should skip it.
Reference
A–Z
Fashion week glossary
The terms — Big Four, SS/AW, couture, casting, looks — defined in one place.