Just like any other major event, Fashion Week is filled with numerous opportunities for the experienced and the young, alike, to get in on the action. From runway shows to open studios to presentations from top designers at exciting new stores, there’s a myriad of things fashion aficionados can do and see while they’re in town. Here are the things you should know about the Opening of Fashion Week:

VENUE FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY

The opening of Fashion Week (also called “New York Fashion Week”) is an annual series of shows held annually in New York City. It pits the world’s top designers against each other to see who can create world-class collections with limited means and resources. The shows are anticipated by the fashion press and global fashion community, and industry insiders. It has been likened to a sporting event. The opening season of New York Fashion Week is the equivalent of Super Bowl XL, the final major pre-Olympic and Paralympic event held in London before the games.

The events have typically been held at various venues in Midtown Manhattan from September to October. Past venues have included Bryant Park; Grand Central Terminal; Lincoln Center for Performing Arts; Pier 59/60; Tarrytown Music Hall; Center 519/127 West 17 Street in Alphabet City or Lincoln Center, which was home to New York City’s first fashion week in 1969.

The shows in New York City tend to draw the most media coverage and therefore the biggest audiences. The other cities hosting fashion weeks include Los Angeles, London, Paris, Milan, and Tokyo.

TOP MODELS RECEIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THEIR TASTE IN FASHION

Fashion Week is also a platform for models who are showcased by various agencies in hopes of landing modeling jobs later in the year or after the season has ended. Many fashion weeks offer cash incentives to models who participate on the runway and can be seen by photographers.

PERIOD WHEN THE SHOW IS HELD

Fashion Weeks are generally held from mid-September through early October; a fashion week can last up to four or five days with shows occurring nightly until 10 pm (the last show at 8 pm). The schedule may vary from city to city, but regardless the shows always begin on a Monday and end on a Friday.

The runway shows are typically held at the end of each day, typically between 9 pm and 10 pm. The models will walk in different groups (sometimes up to 30 or 40 models) for one show. Often there will be two or three runway shows a day, so that each model can walk multiple times during the day (usually at least once per hour). Then they will take off their clothes and leave in preparation for Tuesday’s show. Shows are also sometimes done on Wednesdays starting around 6:30 am. They can last up to two hours, depending on how many models are walking that particular day.

Besides being a great place to find new trends and the latest in fashion merch, Fashion Week is also an excellent chance for people who are trying to break into their industry—especially those promoting themselves as the ‘next big thing. But just because they’re on the roster doesn’t mean they’ll actually make it onto the runway that evening.