Travel to one of these cities for Fashion Week

Even fashion week can be done on a budget. If catwalks and pumps are enough to make your heart stop, then the four-city debacle is a sacred event. This week kicks off the show in New York, where ready-to-wear spring/summer 2011 pieces are being showcased.

Follow the fashion trail as it leaves New York, heads to London, makes a stop in Milan and ends in Paris. Don’t have front-row seats like the celebrities? No worries –  there will be plenty of designer fanfare and lots of bargain shopping to be had, if you know where to look.

We’ve put together a quick cheat sheet of where and when to go, what to look for, the best places to shop, and how to get there:

New York City
Dates: Sept 9-16
Expect to see fanfare for: Betsey Johnson, Perry Ellis, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, Oscar de la Renta and L.A.M.B.
Find your own fashion at:  NoLita, SoHo, Bloomingdales, Saks, Madison Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Canal Street
Popular airports: John F Kennedy Intl Airport (JFK), Laguardia (LGA)
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London
Dates: Sept 17-21
Expect to see fanfare for: Anya Hindmarch, Unique Topshop, Paul Smith and Burberry
Find your own fashion at:  Portobello Market, Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Top Shop, Selfridges and Harrods
Popular airports: Gatwick (LGW), Heathrow (LHR) and Stansted (STN)
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(Get British Airways’ special deal for ticketholders to London Fashion Week.)

Milan
Dates: Sept 22-28
Expect to see fanfare for: Gucci, D&G, Prada, Versace, Bottega Veneta, Giorgio Armani and Marni
Find your own fashion at:  Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, street markets
Popular airports: Linate (LIN), Malpensa (MXP), Orio Al Serio (BGY)
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Paris
Dates: Sept 28 – Oct 6
Expect to see fanfare for: Zac Posen, Balenciaga, Viktor & Rolf, Stella McCartney, Chloe, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes
Find your own fashion at: Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, Avenue Montaigne, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Champs Elysees
Popular airports: Charles de Gaulle (CSG), Orly (ORY)
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Want to keep shopping beyond fashion week? Check out our list of Top 10 Shopping Cities.