Alright, so a bunch of you have been asking me how I even find out about these fashion festivals, the ones that are actually worth going to, not just the big flashy ones everyone already knows. It’s not like there’s some magic list, you know? It’s a bit of a slog, honestly.
My Own Journey Into the Festival Maze
I remember when I first got properly into this. I’d see these amazing, almost otherworldly designs pop up on some obscure corner of the internet and wonder, where the heck are these people showing their stuff? It wasn’t at the local mall, that’s for sure. My early attempts were, let’s be honest, a bit of a mess. I’d just type “fashion events” into a search engine. Big mistake. All I got was a load of corporate stuff or things that had happened, like, two years ago.
So, I had to get a bit more creative. My first real step was actually stepping away from the computer screen, funny enough. I started by really paying attention to the tiny labels on clothes I loved, especially vintage or indie pieces. Sometimes, you’d find a clue, a designer name that wasn’t mainstream. Then, the digging would begin for that specific designer.
My process kind of evolved from there. Here’s a bit of what I started doing, and still do:
- I began to follow a ton of really small, independent designers on social media. Not the big influencers, but the actual makers. They often talk about smaller, more niche events where they showcase.
- I also got into reading a lot of interviews. Not the glossy magazine ones, but more in-depth pieces in art journals or university publications. Sometimes, a designer would mention a festival that gave them their first break.
- Networking, the old-fashioned way! Talking to people at fabric stores, art shows, even quirky little cafes in artsy districts. You’d be surprised who knows what. Someone always knows someone who’s just been to “this amazing little thing in Antwerp” or “a mind-blowing graduate show in Tokyo.”
Then there’s the part where I learned to sift through the noise. So many events call themselves “fashion weeks” or “festivals” these days. You have to get a feel for what’s genuine and what’s just a glorified trade show or a PR stunt. I started looking for who was actually participating. Are they new, exciting talents? Or just the same old brands rehashing things?
Finding the Real Gems
After a while, you start to see patterns. You learn which cities have a really vibrant emerging designer scene. It’s not always the obvious ones. Sure, Paris, London, Milan, New York are the big dogs, and they have their moments, especially if you can get into the less mainstream shows. But then you find out about incredible creativity bubbling up in places like Copenhagen, or Lagos, or even smaller cities you wouldn’t immediately think of for high fashion. Those are often the places where you see something truly new.
I’d spend hours, and I mean hours, cross-referencing. I’d find a mention of a festival, then I’d try to find past attendees, look at photos (if any existed beyond professional shots), and see what the vibe was. Was it super exclusive and stuffy, or more about raw creativity and community? I was always after the latter.
It’s not a perfect science, and sometimes I’d get hyped for something that turned out to be a bit underwhelming. But that’s part of the process, isn’t it? You learn. You refine your radar. For example, I learned to be wary of events that were too heavily sponsored by non-fashion brands right from the get-go. Sometimes a red flag.
So yeah, there’s no secret sauce. It’s a lot of patient digging, following your nose, and talking to people. It’s about looking beyond the headlines and finding the pulse of what’s really happening on the ground. It’s a bit like treasure hunting, I suppose. You sift through a lot of sand, but when you find that gold nugget, that one festival that just blows your mind with fresh ideas, it makes all the effort totally worth it. And then, of course, the challenge is actually getting there!
