The origins of beauty: the history of fashion week as we know it.

Gazing at catwalk shows twice a year, in the hottest four corners of the world – by that I mean Paris, New York, London and Milan – is routine for fashion editors, journalists and buyers all over the globe.

Fashion Week is taken for granted anyone remotely aware of fashion, inside and outside the industry.

Shows are available online, almost instantaneously, ready to be blogged and commented about by trend fanatics. We know everything about catwalk shows: a day in the life of a model, backstage action, what the front row wears, what they eat, when they smile, everything. The history of the little black dress has been penned more times than models run the runway.

But there seems to be a major gap about the coverage of the event, and the big question is: where does it come from?

The French practically owned fashion up until the 20th century, so, predictably, the origins of the fashion show can be traced back to the French capital. In the 1800s, "fashion parades" regularly took place in Paris couture salons.

By the 1910s, the concept had been imported to the United States and large department stores were staging fashion shows to attract the attention of female shoppers. The monopoly was still French however, and the gowns displayed were either couture gowns from Paris or the stores’ own copies of them.

The first fashion week however was held in New York City in 1943 by an American fashion Publicist, Eleanor Lambert.

During the Second World War fashion insiders were unable to travel to a German-occupied France, and this is where Eleanor Lambert came up with the richest idea in fashion at the time.

She organised “Press Week”, an event in which American designers, previously overlooked, showcased their collections for fashion journalists.

No speeding from one tent to another, celebrities and champagne binges as we know them now, but the event still made a splash. It was a huge success; Vogue took up on it and American designers started to be promoted abroad.

After the war, the industry returned to previous fashion superpowers, namely Paris, London and Milan for the new fashion weeks that had emerged there, leading to “the big four” that still dominate the fashion calendar.

Fashion week as we know it now (with the media buzz and the tents), really started in spring 1994, after Fern Mallis, vice president of IMG (then executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America) centralised the New York shows in Bryant Park.

A chic victory for the fashion world.

The Devil does not wear Prada

Yesterday, London-born, American fashion Royalty Anna Wintour, met the head of British Royalty at Buckingham Palace.

As an early Christmas present, the head of fashion bible Vogue, was named in the Queen's 2008 Birthday Honours for services to the industry.

The fashion Queen was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the industry.

Wintour was beaming at the honour.

The perfectionist editor showed off her impeccable dress sense, as she paused to show off her award in a Chanel suit straight off the autumn/winter 2008 catwalk.

Although she rules American and International fashion she always remembers her creative roots. She once said:

"People constantly make the mistake of comparing London with New York, Milan and Paris and that's not what it's about. London has its own fashion identity. You come to London to find the next Alexander McQueen or John Galliano,"

Vogue's 1950 unpublished nude shot

It's crazy how many fashion shots get thrown aside. It's a bit like getting rid of your embarrassing holiday pictures.

Except that those unpublished photographs are incredible.

Today I discovered Norman Parkinson.

While skimming though my new Unseen Vogue book, I was blown away by one of his nudes: a model, lying nonchalantly on a sofa, surrounded by 1950's girdles, corselettes and suspender belts.

It's astoundingly glamorous and really doesn't look like it was taken in 1950. It might be the way the model looks at the camera. (Or the fact that it's hard to imagine this girl is now the same age as my Nan...)

I don't know why it was never published in Vogue. It might have been the frontal nudity. Even now, models don't often appear fully naked in magazines. Although Diva magazine did make an Anti-fashion - naked issue (October 2008).

It might be time to bring back the concept in fashion glossies.