The Expansion of Fashion Weeks
Article by Marquita Harris for NJAL
Fashion weeks: those ceremonious, frenzied affairs that leave the insatiable salivating for more. They turn conservatives into eccentrics and allow eccentrics to overindulge. Though with the countless fashion weeks already in existence and more designers opting to show collections off the catwalk, are fashion weeks still valid? And will New York, Paris and Milan's grip on the fashion world loosen up?
"There are so many different fashion weeks around the world - it seems as if there is always a fashion week going on somewhere," says Anne Christine Persson, manager of Copenhagen Fashion Week. "Some are definitely better than others, while all of them are trying to claim their position on the global map of fashion and it's becoming increasingly more difficult...to position themselves in a whirlwind of fashion weeks."
CFW celebrated a record-breaking 42 shows this past season, making it a new city to watch. But make no mistake; Copenhagen has its own identity. Many of the budding fashion cities have no desire to become an average place. "The fact that you can find interesting Scandinavian brands, which you can't find elsewhere is our unique selling point," says Persson. She also feels that the city, offers a more intimate laid-back atmosphere - an appealing alternative for press accustomed to the chaos of larger cities.
The days of the March and September catwalk schedules are distant memories. Now, numerous cities are holding their own events January through December, leaving no space to catch a breath. Because of this, the industry's geographical Trinity - Paris, New York and Milan - are no longer the only sacred cities.
"A fashion business no longer has to show on a specific catwalk to conquer the world," says Maia Guarnaccia, Vice President of IMG Europe. In addition to their large-scale shows, IMG is also responsible for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, which received a great deal boost of support this past summer. Designers such as Kai Kühne and Patrick Mohr dazzled the press, while the city's past - this November marks 20 years since the crumbling of the Berlin Wall - added unfound distinction.
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