by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
A group of volunteers have begun to lay the groundwork to introduce the first ever Danbury Fashion Week to Connecticut’s northern Fairfield County.
Meagan Neville, who operates Workspace Collective on Main Street, a boutique that features the work of many area fashion designers, crafters, and artists said the idea behind the week is to provide a unique fashion design experience for guests and to feature the work of the creative forces around Danbury.
In addition to some kind of fashion runway/ presentation event, organizers are hoping to provide a variety of pop up activities that manage to bridge the Danbury community at large with the fashion community lurking in their midst.
The idea is to have the culminating event on Saturday, July 28, said organizers.
As the event takes shape, the volunteer committee is in the middle of figuring out logistics. A meeting of volunteers was held on April 10.
One of the chief questions yet to be answered is location. Organizers agree the event should be held in downtown Danbury. But then, the exact location is still a matter of conjecture, future investigation, and eventual business arrangements.
The organizers of Danbury Fashion Week are keen on attracting the Danbury community to the events and not just visitors. However, if the week is held downtown, the committee members recognized they have to figure out how to get Danbury residents who circumvent downtown to make their way to Danbury Fashion Week.
There was a wide variety of discussion as to activities that may have a broader appeal beyond just the fashion events, for instance activities for children
Organizers also discussed finances. There seemed to be a consensus that sponsors need to be found and pitches need to be made to prospects.
In terms of fashion, organizers also spoke about the need to hold an open call for designers and models soon. But then they discussed the logistics of how many of each will be needed and how many will respond and who will choose who makes the cut. The format of the fashion show also was discussed—would it be a runway show or a presentation where models stand on pedestals. A mixture of the two also was considered.