How to Plan a Fashion Week

Fashion week is the most important fashion event to occur in cities around the world. An entire week is devoted to the latest designer creations for the upcoming season. One fashion week occurs in the Fall, previewing Spring and Summer collections, while one occurs in the Spring, giving spectators a look at Fall and Winter collections. A fashion week can be planned in any city or community, with a bit of organization and creativity.

Things You'll Need

• Location(s)
• Fashion Designers
• Catering
• Volunteers
• Hair and Makeup Artists
• Advertising

Instructions

1. Find a location for the fashion week. Sometimes this is one location, like a city hall or gallery. Institutions and city officials are often interested in having the event held at such locations, as fashion week promotes local arts and culture. Other fashion weeks occur at multiple locations throughout a community, seeing boutiques, galleries, and other spaces lent out for a few hours of the week for specific shows to take place.

2. Set the dates or the event(s). Participants and organizers require as much time as possible to prepare, so set the dates at least three months in the future if possible, to ensure the best results. Confirm the dates with those responsible for your chosen locations.

3. Contact local designers, and ask them to take part in the fashion week. Most designers are eager to participate in fashion week events, exposing their designs to a broad audience.

4. Set times and locations for each designer's show. If you have one location, you can line up a few designers each day for that venue. If you have selected multiple locations, assign each designer to a new location, at separate times.

5. Find volunteers to help out with event preparation, and details throughout the week. Volunteers are necessary for set up, and for other duties like dressing models and helping out designers at the time of a show. Visit local fashion schools, or even high schools and ask teachers to put the word out. Anyone interested in fashion will jump at the chance to gain the valuable behind the scenes experience.

6. Book models to walk the runway at each show. Modeling companies and schools will often arrange models for the occasion, as it is the prime occasion for their models to gain experience and exposure.

7. Find hair and makeup artists to style the models for each show. This can be local beauty students, or beauty salon employees.

8. Secure catering for the event. Drinks and refreshments are common at fashion weeks, so contact local bakeries, restaurants, and caterers to ask them if they will contribute food. Often businesses will do this for free in return for the promotion that they will receive at the event.

9. Advertise the fashion week. Create fliers, and post them around local cities and communities. The fliers should say the names of participating designers, as well as the times for each show. Post ads for the event in local newspapers, and leave event info at local businesses, in particular salons and fashion oriented locations.

References

• COSMOWORLDS: World Fashion Week Calendar