What Does It Take to Show at Fashion Week?

Fashion Week founders Apples Aberin, Svida Alisjahbana, and Bauyrzhan Shadibekov discuss the evolving Asian fashion landscape and the role of collaboration, media, and creative identity.

For an emerging designer, getting to show at fashion weekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary opens doors. But how exactly can one become part of the growing fashion landscape and keep the momentum going? How can a creative assess growth and realize that it’s finally time to step out there? At Fashion Week Asia’s The Fashion Forward Asia Forum, industry insiders shared their outlook.

Fashion WeekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary Asia cofounder and cochair Apples Aberin sat down with Svida Alisjahbana, chairperson of Jakarta Fashion Week, and Bauyrzhan Shadibekov, CEO of Fashion Week Almaty and Fashion Week Tashkent, to explore opportunities in “Access: Fashion Week.” The discussion was moderated by Patrick Ty of VMan Southeast Asia and Mega Asia.

Asia’s readiness to have its own fashion show

The four fashion capitals may have been celebrating their milestones this year, but for Alisjahbana, Asia already has its own platform. “The way we reach out to our customers is [directly to them],” she said, referring to the region’s growing digital presence. Hence, she is optimistic about the region’s ability to expand its market reach to the United States and Europe by leveraging its digital strengths and, of course, creating its own Fashion WeekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary.

Shadibekov echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Asia already has what it needs to establish its own fashion weekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary, given its rich culture and stories. “We need to build our ecosystem with our identity,” he added. These strengths make up the region’s identity, and the industry needs to emphasize who it is and what it is already building.

Aberin, on the other hand, highlighted Fashion WeekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary Asia’s role in this endeavor. “We take a lot of inspiration from what Svida and Bauyrzhan have done, and what we want to really do is connect everyone and bring everyone together because we can learn so much from each other. Of course, there’s strength in collaboration.”

How fashion week translates into viable business opportunities

If there’s one thing Aberin wants emerging designers to understand, it is that Fashion WeekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary is more than just a show. “The conversations can start on the runway, but they need to transcend that. And that’s why we are here doing resees [and] trying to invite buyers.”

Meanwhile, Shadibekov shared his experience in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where they have a key project to support young designers through “Next Design, New World.” The support begins with retail opportunities and educational programs, as it is important for young designers to understand how they got their start.

To turn this into a larger business opportunity, however, media also plays a role through storytelling, creation, promotion, and market innovation. Alisjahbana concluded that this is what designers need, as the media also plays a role in talent development and the creative process.

The place of emerging asian designers on the global stage

“Talents evolve. Labels evolve. And us [who are] in Fashion WeekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary [are] part of the curation process, part of the nurturing process for the next designer,” Alisjahbana said. She noted, however, that these designers may not necessarily be newcomers. They could be established designers making a comeback or young talents rising to prominence.

Aberin supported this idea, reiterating that this is the purpose of Fashion WeekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary Asia. Across the region, countries share roots and histories. “Culture and fashion, I say, are borderless. It is the geopolitical that is binding us. But if you look at the Silk Route, there is still history between us. There is the embroidery between us.”

What an emerging designer should have

Passion is a given, but what makes a designer stand out from the rest? A creative identity. “You need to know what your story is, what you stand for as a brand, and it starts there,” Aberin said. “You need to think about it as more than just a presentation of your work, because it translates to business.”

At the end of the day, it is about connecting creativity to commerce. Knowing who you are as a designer will eventually help you understand how to sell your brand and present it to the world.