USA: Fashionable dates

New York Fashion Week

New York holds its big-name fashion weeks each February and September, showcasing leading fashion designers' work to buyers, the press and well-dressed members of the public. With Paris, London and Milan, it is one of the world's four major fashion weeks, and front-row seats are always highly valued and hard to come by.

Fashion Week Miami

July's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami is all about swimwear, showing the latest designs from around the world and held at The Raleigh, one of Miami's most exclusive hotels. Last year's trends included cut-out monokinis and bikini tops adorned with exaggerated ruffles. The summer event is the United States' largest fashion week for swimwear.

Los Angeles Fashion Week

The two fashion weeks in Los Angeles are in March for autumn collections and October for northern spring collections. They began with press weeks where fashion journalists were invited to preview Californian collections and the annual events now include men's fashion shows as well as up-and-coming designers.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

For the latest lingerie and sleepwear, the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show always attracts wide coverage as it features some of the world's leading models, including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Miranda Kerr. The first shows were held leading up to Valentine's Day. They broadcast during prime time on American network television.

Africa Fashion Week

New York's annual Africa Fashion Week started in 2009 and is held during the northern summer in New York to bring African designers to the United States fashion capital.

Hair Wars

Hair Wars is an annual touring event which has become one of the biggest African-American hair shows in the US. Hair artists and salons create elaborate and unconventional styles. Hair Wars started touring the US in the 1990s and has a circuit of 10 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami.

CHECKLIST

Further information: See DiscoverAmerica.com for more on visiting New York City.