Here's What Fashion Week Looked Like in the Early 2000s

We last took you on a tour of fashion week in the '90s, which was fascinating, if we do say so ourselves (so much Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford—always a good thing). Now, since the early 2000s are a thing again in the fashion world (sorry, low-rise-jeans haters), we're seizing the opportunity to take a look back at that time period and what it was like to attend fashion week.

Some things over the past nearly 20 years haven't changed (Sarah Jessica Parker in the front row), but many things have (every attendee watches the shows through an iPhone screen now). All in all, our big takeaway in reviewing the early-2000s scene is that fashion week was undoubtedly becoming the huge spectacle that it is today, with influencers of that time (e.g., Paris Hilton) walking the red carpet, and runway shows starting to rival the production value of a Broadway show. But you probably just want to see what we mean with your own eyes, right? Below, check out what fashion week looked like in the early 2000s, from backstage to front row to the runway.

Nicky and Paris Hilton at Sean John, 2001

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Claire Danes, Patricia Field, and Sarah Jessica Parker at Narciso Rodriguez, 2003

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Gisele Bündchen at Michael Kors, 2003

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Christian Dior F/W 03 Show

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Anna Wintour and Oscar de la Renta, 2002

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Kate Moss at Chanel, 2003

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Adriana Lima at Versace Haute Couture, 2003

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Gwen Stefani and Naomi Campbell at L.A.M.B., 2005

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Rachel Bilson at Derek Lam, 2006

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Alek Wek at Christian Lacroix, 2002

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Keri Russell, Ali Landry, and Scarlett Johansson at BCBG Max Azria, 2002

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Gisele Bündchen at Christian Dior, 2000

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Oprah Winfrey and karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, 2004

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

This post was originally published on an earlier date and has since been updated by Lauren Eggertsen. Next up, see how Bella Hadid wears every trend from the 2000s.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.