See also: Fashion Week Producers
As a designer, landing an opportunity at fashion week can mean a real career boost. It’s the chance to showcase your designs and have them seen by some of the most influential tastemakers in the fashion industry. However, with competition fierce, it’s important to ensure that you present yourself and your work in the best possible way when applying for fashion week, while avoiding some common pitfalls along the way. Here are some tips on how to find a good producer and make your fashion week application stand out.
Do Your Research
Before submitting your application, do thorough research on the event you’re applying for. Check out their social media. Look for great pictures and videos of past shows. Understand who is producing it, what venues they’ve shown at in the past, and which designers have been involved. This will give you an idea of whether or not your work is likely to be a good fit for this particular production.
do thorough research on the event you’re applying for
A Word to the Wise
Sometimes things aren’t what they seem at first glance. It’s helpful to understand the markets. There are even cases where unscrupulous producers have trademarked a name in use by everyone in a particular city, claiming to be “official” over older, more established producers. This is where it’s important to see what the producer actually delivers in terms of high-quality pictures (such as Getty), videos, and how much press they’re generating for their designers. A great producer puts on great shows, and gets designers press. Period. So look carefully at their social media, website, and don’t be afraid to ask them what kind of press they’re generating.
A great producer puts on great shows, and gets designers press
Presentation Matters
From your initial contact email right through to presenting your designs on the catwalk, presentation matters. Ensure that all communication with organizers is professional and succinct; they don’t need lengthy backstories — just brief overview of yourself and why you think you’re a great fit for this event. Additionally, when putting together your media kit (which should include images of past collections), ensure that everything looks neat, tidy and aesthetically pleasing; no one wants to see grainy photos or disorganized visuals. Finally, make sure that everything within your media kit clearly showcases who you are as a designer — don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through!
Be Creative
Fashion week producers receive hundreds upon hundreds of applications from hopeful designers every year, so it’s important that yours stands out. Think about new ways in which you can present yourself — perhaps create a website for your portfolio or videos showcasing behind-the-scenes footage from previous shows? Any creative initiatives like these can really help boost your fashion week application and make it more memorable in comparison with others’.
Applying for fashion week can seem daunting at first but with thorough research, professional presentation and creative ideas under our belt, we can give ourselves every chance of success! All we need now is plenty of determination and passion — two essential ingredients if we want our application to stand out from the crowd. Good luck!
With love,
FWO
