Demystifying the Fashion Seasons and buying calendar
Fashion is an industry in constant motion. Every few months, the cycle of creation, presentation, and sales spins anew—producing beauty, innovation, and a fair amount of confusion, especially around the so-called “fashion seasons.” While the industry traditionally operates around a two-season model—Spring/Summer (SS) and Autumn/Winter (AW)—modern fashion brands often release four or more collections per year, including Resort/Cruise and Pre-Fall.
But when do designers present their collections? When do retailers buy them? And when do customers actually get to wear them? The answers are not always aligned—and therein lies the industry's most persistent challenge.
The Traditional Seasons: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter
At the heart of fashion’s calendar are the SS and AW collections. These are the primary collections shown during the major fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris:
SS collections are shown in September/October and hit stores between January and March.
AW collections are shown in February/March and are delivered to stores from July to September.
Collections are designed long before the clothes hit shelves. Retail buyers attend shows and place orders, and then production begins. However, there's a catch: by the time customers want to wear the clothes, they’re often already discounted. Think: winter coats on sale in December before winter even begins.
Enter the Intermediates: Resort and Pre-Fall
To keep customers engaged and cash flow steady, many brands now offer intermediate collections:
Resort (or Cruise) collections originally catered to the jet-set crowd traveling to sunny destinations during winter. Now they serve a broader clientele and are presented in May, hitting stores around November.
Pre-Fall collections are more transitional, blending spring and fall elements. These are shown around January/February and hit stores by May.
These off-calendar drops serve both creative and commercial purposes, keeping assortments fresh year-round.
The Boutique Perspective: When Do Buyers Actually Order?
Boutique buyers, unlike major department stores, often buy closer to season to remain flexible and reactive. For instance:
A boutique might place spring orders as late as January for March or April delivery.
Fast production turnaround (e.g., delivery within 2–6 weeks) can be a big win for smaller designers trying to get into boutiques.
As boutique coach Jane Hamill puts it: "The later they place their orders, the more information and selling history they have to base those orders on."
The Weather Problem—and Why It Matters
The misalignment of the fashion calendar with real weather is a long-standing frustration. As Giorgio Armani once wrote, it’s "criminal" to sell linen dresses in January or wool coats in August. Customers often aren't in the mood for seasonal purchases until the weather matches—and by then, the items are discounted.
This disconnect affects both profitability and sustainability. During the pandemic, there was momentum to reset the calendar, aligning deliveries with actual seasons and reducing waste. Industry leaders like Dries van Noten and department stores such as Selfridges supported this change, but progress has been slow.
Still, some brands are taking matters into their own hands—releasing collections on their own timelines, or even operating seasonless models. As the industry continues to evolve, flexibility may be the future.
Fashion Seasons: Selling & Delivery Calendar
SUMMARY: The timing/or schedule of the four seasons in fashion at a glance
Fashion shows
Autumn/winter: February/March
Spring/summer: September/October
Resort, Cruise: May
In the shop
Autumn/winter: July-September (the entire collection will be on the shelves in September)
Spring/summer: January-March (the full collection will be on the shelves in March)
Resort, Cruise: November
Pre-fall: May
As the seasons blur and the industry searches for balance, one thing remains true: fashion’s rhythm is always changing—but with knowledge and agility, designers and buyers can dance to the beat.