In ten days Fashion’s Night Out will kick off the usual NYC Fashion Week spectacular. If you had to choose between New York and Iceland, where would you go? Well, in a mere two days Iceland kicks off something a bit more unique – way up north, in the land of lava and ice. To help you sort out the differences between the two events we asked Andrew Lockhart, Director of Iceland Fashion Week, to help us out. See what he has to say below, along with some images of a few of the designers showing in Iceland including Darling Krelwear and Darling PapuszaCouture. Not to worry, more from Iceland Fashion Week coming soon!
Darlings: When and how did Iceland Fashion Week begin?
Andrew: Iceland Fashion Week began in 1999 as the Midnight Sun Fashion Festival. Held during the summer months under Iceland’s famous Midnight Sun, Founder Kolla Aðalsteinsdóttir began the event as a way for her to showcase the talent of local Icelandic designers and also used it as a platform for her former agency, Icelandic Models. She soon realized that the festival could become a forum for up and coming designers from around the globe. By 2002 we had designers coming from as far away as Japan, Canada and the U.S.A. to participate in the shows and it has continued to grow since then. In 2006, we took a few years off after the passing of her father and son within a week of each other. Ironically, on the day that she called me earlier this year to say she was ready to jump back into the fold, I had to notify her that my mother had passed just one day before. Nevertheless, we moved on and here we are.
Rodel LA, Brasil
Darlings: Why independent/emerging fashion?
Andrew: By choosing to feature primarily independent and emerging designers, we tap into a huge market of fashion design that is rarely exposed. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of designers around the globe, whose collections we never see, whose names we never hear of. Some of them are not interested in showing in any of the major fashion weeks around the globe, while others of them simply cannot afford to produce shows because of the costs that go along with having a show in, for example, London, Paris or New York. Why should a fashion week only be accessible to those that can afford to produce a million dollar spectacle? If we can inspire a young designer who is about to give up because he or she feels like they will never be able to afford a fashion show, then we are happy to do so. I also think that emerging and independent designers are more willing to take risks, to stretch the envelope, to think outside of the box, and we encourage them to do so.
Agape Mdumulla, UK
Darlings: Why Iceland?
Andrew: Iceland offers us a very unique opportunity that I do not think can be replicated anywhere else. Each year Kolla chooses an incredible location somewhere within the topography of her native country. She has an uncanny ability to use the nature of Iceland as a backdrop for the shows that leave all who attend inspired. Volcanoes, glaciers, the oldest parliament in the world, even an electric plant have all been incorporated into shows each year and this year will be no different. With a theme of Walk on Water, the catwalk will be made of thousands of bottles of water provided by Icelandic Glacial Water and set against a backdrop of the Reykjanesbær Harbor.
Also, Icelandic fashion design is some of the most creative that I have seen. A short walk down the main street in downtown Reykjavik will find you browsing through the wares of a very talented group of Icelandic designers. The Underground Iceland show this year will be on Friday, September 04, 2009, set in the Reykjavik harbor. It will feature a group of young Icelandic designers including Eva Huld, Sigrun Heida, Krown Design and Thorunn. (Click here to check out all the IFW 09 designers).
Anja Hynynen, Sweden
Darlings: What does IFW provide for emerging talent that differs from other shows around the world?
Andrew: Iceland Fashion Week offers designers the opportunity to show their work without having to worry about the costs of producing a fashion show. Designers can focus solely on creating their collections, leaving the production aspects of the show to a very talented team of Icelanders. We also offer these designers an opportunity to have their collections seen by representatives from major media outlets. This year we have folks from Full Frontal Fashion, Fashion Week Daily, Time Magazine, V Magazine, Vice TV, WeAr, the Darlings and others all coming to cover the shows.
Karelle Levy, USA
Darlings: How has the economic climate affected IFW?
Andrew: There have definitely been some changes with the current economic climate. We have scaled IFW back from a full week to four days this year. Also, in past years, with the help of our title sponsor, Iceland Air, we were able to cover the travel and accommodations of the designers, press and VIPs that attended IFW. This year we were unable to do so for everyone. In addition, we had to cut back on the number of designers invited. While previous years have seen as many as 39 designers, this year we will be featuring 17 designers from abroad and 9 Icelandic ones.
s=yz, South Korea
Darlings: Is the Icelandic community supportive and involved with IFW?
Andrew: As a whole, the Icelandic community has always been supportive of the project. Despite the global crisis and the current crisis in Iceland, there has been an outpouring of support from the Icelandic business community who are supporting Iceland Fashion Week however they can. Even the cities of Reykjavik and Reykjanesbær have lent a hand of support this year and we are thankful for this. This past weekend while out in Reykjavik, so many strangers that I met were very excited about the fact that I am here to assist with Iceland Fashion Week and they thanked me for coming here to be a part of it.
Of course, as with anything else, there are always naysayers. A very small contingent within the community feel that Iceland Fashion Week should be about Icelandic designers only. However, the door to Iceland Fashion Week is open to everyone, Icelandic or not. We choose to look past the differences that we all have between us and instead choose to focus on similarities that unify us. It is a global world that we live in and Iceland Fashion Week is no different.
PapuszaCouture, USA
Darlings: How can a fashion designer get invited to show on the runway in Iceland?
Andrew: Right now, interested designers can send an email to info@icelandfashionweek.is. They are welcome to include a C.V., some background information and a few images from past collections. The screening process runs through mid-March, when selected designers are invited to be a part of IFW. If they accept, a minimum fee ($500 U.S.) is required to reserve their place in the coming year’s show.
Darlings: Do you have plans to take what you do for emerging fashion talent with IFW, to other countries?
Andrew: At the moment, I do not. I like what we are doing here in Iceland and would like to continue building this into something that is recognized globally as the fashion week destination for emerging talent. In order for us to do this, we need to continue to focus all of our energy on IFW. However, we welcome designers from anywhere to contact us.
Darlings: Besides IFW…Is there something you love that you want to get the word out about and share with the community?
Andrew: In the spring we will be relaunching our annual photo project Pride of Janus, also set in Iceland. 12 photographers from 12 countries, set loose for a week in Iceland, a loose theme, a car and a camera. Six months later, we’ll show the world what they saw, with an exhibition. Just. You. Wait. And. See.
