The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) have expressed their dismay at Mario Boselli, Milan's Head of Camera Nazionale della Moda. Boselli and the Designers in Italy have decided to move the date of their show in such a manner that it conflicts with New York and London Fashion Week's. (Apparently there is a method to the madness of Fashion Week schedules all around the world! At least in the four major
markets.)Mario Boselli--Photo Courtesy of Getty Images
  In 2008, the four leading global fashion week organizers – the Council of Fashion Designers of America, British Fashion Council, Chambre Syndicale, and Camera Nazionale della Moda – met and agreed to adhere to what is now informally called the “Second Thursday Rule” whereupon New York Fashion Week will always start on the second Thursday of February and September. So the schedules looks like this:

New York: 2nd Thursday – 3rd Thursday
London: 3rd Friday – 4th Tuesday
Milan: 4th Wednesday – following Wednesday (1/2 day)
*since this agreement, Milan has become one day shorter, now finishing on Tuesday each season
Paris: To commence the same final ½ day of Milan and continue for 9 days

     According to the CFDA there has been an agreement set and agreed to by the four major fashion week organizers as to when the shows will take place. This agreement has been in place for the last three years and according to the CFDA was meant to last into the forseeable future.
   Bosselli disagrees. Milan claims the agreement was meant to last three years. The design houses all met and unanimaously voted to keep their date as September 19th -25th. 
 “Italian designers unanimously agreed on the schedule, from the smallest brand to the biggest. They showed great solidarity and Italian pride," Boselli declared.
Milan's fashion week now overlaps two days with New York's and four days with London's.
    CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg and CEO Steven Kolb held their positions that they would stay with the dates already set for September 13th-20th as did London keeping theirs as Sept 21st-25th. So the schedule for Spring/Summer 2013 Collections will be as follows:

New York: Thursday, September 13– Thursday, September 20, 2012
London: Friday, September 21 – Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Milan: Wednesday, September 19 – Tuesday, September 25
Paris: Tuesday, October 2– Wednesday, October 10, 2012


Diane von Furstenberg-Photo Courtesty of Zimbio.com & Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America
  A CFDA memo stated, "The Council of Fashion Designers of America, as well as the British Fashion Council, will continue to honor the agreed upon dates through the 2012 calendar year. We are in discussions with all parties involved and believe that it is only fair that we all honor the existing agreement."
     "[Vogue editors] like the schedule the way it is presently organized. We at Condé Nast do not want the schedule to be changed. We very much oppose moving the Milan shows earlier so that they overlap or conflict with the London fashion shows—or with the New York fashion shows or those of any market...[Vogueeditors] will not under any circumstances abandon the London or New York shows if the Milan shows are moved earlier." This statement was issued in a letter to Boselli by Jonathan Newhouse, Conde Nast International Chairman.
 After several years of smooth transitioning between fashion weeks, it will definitely be interesting to see if this change affects how and where the buyers and media go.