Shows need to be better by design
Dublin Fashion Week may be too costly for designers, but no-shows aren't the answer, writes Constance Harris
Sunday March 22 2009
These are interesting times we live in. Five years ago we had a booming retail scene with little to no consciousness as to environmental or social accountability, and our indigenous talent depended on retailers to promote them. Today, retail is reassessing how it does its business and Irish designers are being challenged as to how to showcase their ranges. To these ends, there is a lot happening in the next month on the Irish fashion scene.
Next week, in Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney, the first ethical fashion show of the year will be held. Organised by students of the Fashion Industry Practice course in Sallynoggin Senior College, tickets cost €15 and all proceeds will go to the Chernobyl Children's Project. Adi Roche will be there, Image magazine's Sive O'Brien will be MC on the night and I am giving a (very) short talk as to why I think ethically, sustainably-produced fashion is so important.
The students are styling the show themselves and will ensure that we are shown contemporary fashion themes, having been given sage advice from experienced stylist, Jan Brierton (who styles the fashion spreads in LIFE magazine on a regular basis), coupled with dire warnings from me not to have too much vintage on show, as my main concern for the future of ethical fashion's credibility is that it has to fulfil mainstream needs.
The clothes will be sourced from ethical fashion companies such as belleEtik.com, Edun, Unicorn Designs, Penneys and Timberland, as well as others who are playing a socially ethical role and the show should be fun. For tickets, call (01) 285-2997.
On Monday, March 30, Motorola Dublin Fashion Week (MDFW) kicks off for three days with a series of industry talks, movie screenings and a fashion show. All are open to the public but are ticketed. For further information, or to buy tickets, call (01) 643-2801 or visit www.dublinfashionweek.com.
Like London Fashion Week (LFW), the event is suffering from fashion's most destructive condition -- designer attention deficit disorder. At the beginning of their careers, designers need big, centralised, fashion forums, such as LFW or MDFW because they know all the buyers and media will be sure to attend. But once established, designers tend to decide that they can do it better on their own. So they reject the event and it declines. And too often, they do, too.
I can think of several designers who have pulled out of the event in the past few years and have also fallen by the wayside when it comes to coverage in the media. Irish designers aren't good at publicity and can't afford to hire professional PR which is expensive. But at least when they exhibited at MDFW -- they got attention just by being there.
I remember the first MDFW and how so many of Ireland's designers had never met each other before, knew little of each other's work, and yet in the corridors of the Morrison (where the event was first held), they created firm friendships and support systems. They gave advice to the newbies who didn't necessarily know which boutiques were bad payers or good supporters of talent. They met the media players first hand. They might not have made sales and figures. But they made contacts. Essential in this business.
Money is always used as an argument for why people leave an event. But it seems to me Irish designers and labels may be making a very short- sighted decision in not taking part in the event. All to save approximately €1,500 euros (€3,000 if they wish to take part in the catwalk show). All of it tax deductible expenditure.
If MDFW really is prohibitively expensive for our designers to take part in, they should state what their needs are and what MDFW needs to change to earn their commitment to it. This is what the younger designers, in the form of Fashion Breakthrough, did, and though they are not part of MDFW this time, they may well be able to work a mutually beneficial compromise next time.
Running from the April 25 through to May 1, Fashion Breakthrough will be a trade exhibition of young designer talent in the Loft, 2nd Floor of the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, with a Pop-up store open to the public in Film Base, Temple Bar. The cost to take part in both is €350, or €100 for just the trade fair. At a fraction of MDFW costs, it is a more financially viable event for starter labels, though it will be less slick. To find out more, go to www.tadcoi.com or call Lisa Shwagi or Oonagh Davidson, on (086) 856-7269.
Hopefully, Irish stylists as well as Irish buyers, will take a few hours out of their schedules and see the next generation's work. Even if they don't like what they see, give them some feedback. After all, how are people to develop if they don't get feedback from professionals?
Last year, Fashion Evolution was organised as a forum for industry to come together and learn about ethical, sustainable fashion. Sadly, despite a hugely impressive line-up of international speakers, the Irish fashion industry was as indifferent to ethical and sustainable fashion issues as they were to committing to their fashion week.
This year, Fashion Evolution is targeting the public and is organising a diverting and full week's calendar of interactive events. For further information, visit www. re-dress.ie. So Irish designers and fashion are being challenged. I hope that rather than just grumbling about things, they will take a pro-active position as to what they are doing to support their business.Judging by the number of shows I have been invited to, retailers are trying to generate a bit of enthusiasm. Here's hoping our designers can, too.
- Constance Harris
