KEY POINTS:
Paris, Milan, London, New York and, um, Abu Dhabi? These days every town and city with more than two sewing machines seems to feel it deserves its own fashion week.
If you're a busy follower of fashion, you could be filling your whole year just browsing internet reviews
and runway shows. But which fashion week, out of the many that were on just now, actually deserves your attention?
Ukraine Fashion Week, Kiev
This event started 10 years ago but no one even noticed until recently. And it only seems to get international attention when people put joke captions next to the runway shots. Still, judging by the pictures, some of the clothes weren't too shabby, especially when the designers play on the sexy-Communist-spy-in-outerspace thing. And one Ukrainian, Veronika Jeanvie, has made it as far as Los Angeles Fashion Week where she's being mentored by established French-Spanish designer, Paco Rabanne, who may be best known for his flamboyant, bad-taste outfits and the fact that he predicted a Russian space station would crash into Paris in 1999.
Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, United Arab Emirates
Debuting this year with the stated aim of making Abu Dhabi an epicentre for designers in the region. Their biggest drawcard is women with a lot of money. In fact, just quietly and often under their chaste robes, some Arabian women are the biggest couture customers in the world. Plus there's a relationship with Milan Fashion Week that's already seen popular houses Pucci, Missoni and Valentino put on special shows in honour of their clients in the region.
Indian Fashion Week, Delhi
This week was launched in 2000 and as the Indian middle class with cash grows, so does the attention paid to their fashion week. It's been mentioned in influential international newspapers and magazines, and this month designers put a range of good-looking Bollywood actors and cricket stars on the runway. Most clothes are traditional Indian which is why when, this year, a model accidentally exposed a nipple - standard procedure on Euro runways - everyone freaked out.
The Indian week's biggest, and most exciting, export is Manish Arora, who started showing his colourful creations in Paris last year.
Japan Fashion Week, Tokyo
There are plenty of insanely creative Japanese design stars already sparkling in fashion's firmament - Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons and Issey Miyake are just two of many - so it's probably worth checking this Fashion Week, founded in 2005, out.
It's been reported that young Japanese designers are now keen to launch their labels at home but other pundits say all the really good ones end up working overseas anyway. And possibly the best reason to check out this event? Some of the labels' odd names: Fur Fur and Tiny Dinosaur, anyone?
Los Angeles Fashion Week, USA
No doubt, you've already heard of celebrities turning to fashion design - musicians Gwen Stefani and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, both of whom show their labels off at New York Fashion Week, for instance. Well, Los Angeles appears to be where the B-grade celebrities come to show off their frock design skills. There are occasional outings by genuine designers, the likes of whom dress actors for awards ceremonies and special events. But reports indicate they are pulling out, annoyed by the silly celeb factor. Which is why this month's highlights included clothes by Nicky Hilton, Laguna Beach star Lauren Conrad (who?) and a lingerie collection from, quite appropriately, The Pussycat Dolls.
