Are fashion shows still worth it? Designers weigh costs against exposure

Breaking down what a show gives you – and what it takes away.

Fashion week, fashion week, fashion week… what to do with you? Recently, we weighed up whether a young designer should show at one of the Big Four™ or opt for a smaller, newer one like Copenhagen. Bigger fish, smaller pond, etc. We also pondered what the BFC should do to protect the designers that have stuck to the LFW schedule even as its influence stagnates. Today, we’re back with our thinking caps on and asking: should designers just avoid fashion week altogether?

By Dominic Cadogan

For over a decade working as a journalist, I’ve attended countless fashion shows across the Big Four fashion weeks and beyond. Through the good, the bad, and the lengthy, I’ve often left each city with a nagging question: why bother showing at fashion week at all?