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At one point, it seemed all of Calgary was skeptical about the first semi-annual Alberta Fashion Week taking place October 4 -10. Calgarians have seen their fair share of fashion shows and weeks, all of which have fizzled due to poor marketing or general disinterest, and AFW was up against their predecessor’s mistakes.
AFW directors, David Politi and Katie Karvellas, had their work cut out for them, and carving a positive niche into Alberta’s already skeptical perception of its local fashion industry would be no easy feat.
“When you think of Alberta, you don’t think of fashion, you think of business, not creative industries like fashion” said one curious bystander outside the historic Banke on Stephen Avenue, where the week-long affair showcased emerging talent. It is true “Alberta is known for its beef, cowboys and oil” as AFW states on their website, but is Calgary just a headquarter mecca anymore? Is Alberta ‘just’ Alberta? According to AFW, Alberta has grown past what it is known for throughout Canada. The province is evolving into a suitable playground for the creative arts, and AFW is a testament to this shift.
Unlike previous fashion events held in Calgary, which opted for an exclusive selection of downtown retail stores to mark the city’s fashion scene, AFW was solely about local, independent designers. The week long affair gave native designers a proper foundation to highlight their spring/summer 2010 collections in a professional environment. Throughout AFW, attendees were able to celebrate burgeoning talents such as Project Runway Canada contestants Adejoké Taiwo and Camille Prins, to lesser known stars including Sara Chalupnicek, Jenna Etcheverry, Laura George, Kyle Nylund, Caitlin Powers, and Hali Sweet.
The logistics of AFW were seamless; shows started promptly and ran smoothly throughout, designers were appropriately grouped together, and high-heeled attendees were given numerous places to rest their soles. The mistakes that were made were minor. Some felt SeVen Restolounge, where day two took place to showcase a designer mash-up, was too crowded and a precarious stepping stool onto the runway made the audience nervous for the heeled models. Shows began without introduction, and the limited lighting made it difficult for the standing audience to view the collections, and photographers a challenge to capture. On the other hand, the elaborate Banke, where the remainder of the week took place, gave AFW a distinct polish that helped disguise AFW’s juvenility, making it appear like a seasoned event catering to international buyers, editors, and prominent members of the fashion community.
Fashion weeks are constructed to give designers exposure and future business opportunities for their collections, and AFW lacked these networking opportunities for the designers. The event was missing an invite only buyers market, where buyers, potential investors, and retailers are invited to view each collection and engage with designers. AFW provided designers exposure on a smaller scale, but has potential to make up for this shortcoming in years to come. It was disappointing to see the lack of press, besides Calgary’s only fashion media collective, Calgary Fashion.ca, who celebrated their third year in September, but now that AFW has proven itself to be a credible week, it will attract more press with its fall/winter showcase scheduled for April 2010.
In all, AFW was a success much to its skeptic’s surprise. Like any large scale event, it will take the AFW team a few more seasons to transform the week into a well-oiled machine. With the appropriate sponsors, support from Alberta’s fashion community and positive feedback, AFW will attract more designers, and maybe convince established local designers like Patrick Cox, Paul Hardy, and Travis Taddeo to show their collections on home soil.
For complete coverage of Alberta Fashion Week, including designer reviews, and video coverage go to calgaryfashion.ca.
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