To Show or Not to Show?

Should I stage a fashion week show?

Fashion week is a wonderful celebration of this creative and innovative industry. While it is no longer the sole gateway to wholesale or publicity, it is an exciting opportunity for designers to show their unique vision and the results of their hard work, and it is when buyers, editors, influencers and business leaders get together to discover and share notes. Many independent designers feel that staging a fashion week event means they have finally arrived and the allure of being part of the excitement is strong. However, behind the glamour sits the harsh reality that shows often contribute to the financial ruin of good designers. 

As with everything its important to keep the mission and goals of your individual brand front and center as you ask yourself key questions about whether or not to be part of fashion week.  

1. What will you achieve by putting your time and resources into a Fashion Week show? 

You need to identify the particular business goal a show would help you achieve and understand how you will measure the results. Each brand is different and while fashion shows can create buzz and hype and attract editors, influencers and stylists; for many brands, this fashion forward audience is not really effective in driving sales. If you are a luxury brand trying to get the attention of the industry or if a show will help you close the deal with a fashion forward investor or sponsor, it could be a beneficial move. But some investors may look at a show as a waste of resources which would have been better spent hiring a sales rep or launching a stronger digital marketing campaign. Also keep in mind - if part of your mission is sustainability, the expense and waste associated with showing could backfire and disappoint your customer. 

2. Is your business really ready at this time? 

Before you put yourself out there in front of the industry, you should have all of your other business elements running smoothly. Your production and sourcing should be proven and reliable. Your business strategy should be sound with a full understanding of cash flow and realistic financial projections for the next several years. You should already have a loyal customer base with a steady demand for your product. 

3. Do you have the resources? 

I have seen extremely creative designers with bare bones production, a lot of hardworking friends, and significant hype pull off a show for as little as $20,000. But most minimal budget productions easily add a zero to that number. The venue, models, publicists, lighting and sound, hair and make-up artists, dressers and backstage assistants all add up quickly and there is no guarantee of the results. Just as you do not want to skimp on your fabric or production quality, if you are going to invest in a show and put yourself out there, you will want to do it well. You also need to budget additional funds for after the show to create photo and video for social media, email marketing, and press follow up to keep spreading the word and driving sales.  

4. Who is the show for and will they come? 

Fashion week is a busy and stressful time for the buyers and editors who attend the shows. They are obliged to see the collections of their advertisers and key vendors and may not be able to fit in many of the less known names.  It might be better to stage an event at a different time of the year when there is less going on or focus resources on creating a fashion film or beautiful lookbook for VIPs to view when there is less competition for their attention. Staging a group show with other designers can be a great way to provide more incentive to see a show and designers can pool their resources to help keep production costs down. 

If your end goal is really to create excitement and hype for your customer, staging a consumer focused event inviting your best customers to see the collection and share social media content could be more beneficial than having any fashion industry attend. 

5. Is a show the right marketing fit for your brand?  

Not all collections should even be in the fashion spotlight. Depending on where you sell and your customer profile, you may get best results at a trade show, at a music festival or by holding private appointments in a showroom where people can see the details of your construction up close.  For some labels, it is best to stay under the radar and let the buyers and influencers discover you in a more organic way. 
As you consider these questions, be sure to solicit the opinion of advisors, partners, and people you trust. If there is not a clear purpose or obvious outcome to staging an event, it is best to wait.