Once again, a large part of the Frankfurt Fashion Week falls victim to Corona. Instead of big trade fairs and many glamorous runways, there are exhibitions, isolated shows and digital offers. But unusual creations can also be seen this time.
Frankfurt/Main – The second edition of the Frankfurt Fashion Week also started on Monday (January 17) in a significantly reduced form. Instead of full exhibition halls and glamorous catwalk shows, there is a corona-compliant offer with exhibitions, isolated shows and a digital conference program under the motto “Reform the Future”.
“Of course we had imagined the Fashion Week differently and planned it differently. We wanted to take place physically,” says Olaf Schmidt from Messe Frankfurt. “On the other hand, we are pleased that many are using the Fashion Week and have started activities here.”
Insights behind the facades
Since Monday, 60 works by the fashion photographer Helmut Fricke (“Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”) have been on display at more than a dozen locations, for example in the Massif Central, in the Hilton Foyer or in various fashion shops. “With his camera, he gives a glimpse behind the facades of the catwalks from Paris to Milan to New York – away from glamor and perfection,” explained Frankfurt’s Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann (SPD).
And for a week now, the exhibition “Runway B(eautiful)-Level” has been on display on the B level of the Frankfurt Hauptwache, with 71 large-format fashion photographs on 35 pillars. “We want to show the potential of the city,” said Florian Jöckel, one of the managing directors of AAAREA GmbH, an association of Frankfurt creative agencies. “Due to the pandemic, the idea of using the public space as a gallery came up early on.”
Fashion labels use sustainable materials
Meanwhile, several sustainable fashion labels from Hesse are presenting themselves in a showroom in the city center, and window talks are being organized for this purpose. For example, you can see a “sneature” there – this is a shoe whose upper material is made from a yarn made from dog hair or jewelery made from recycled silver. A few meters away, a dress made from men’s shirts and paper bags are on display.
On Tuesday, among other things, a show by the Berlin label Susumu Ai and other members of the Fashion Council Germany is on the program. Then the Frankfurt Fashion Lounge with shows, conferences and a mentoring program will open in a hotel at the opera. In addition, the Fashion Week organizes a virtual conference offer.
Due to the Corona situation, the organizers had already canceled the big trade shows “Premium”, “Seek” and “Neonyt” as well as other formats. The first Frankfurt Fashion Week took place almost exclusively digitally last summer. It had previously surprisingly become known that Berlin was losing several fashion fairs to Frankfurt. The organizers of the biannual event are now hoping for summer 2022. There is a great need in the industry, says Schmidt from the trade fair. “Everyone is looking forward to the big international impact in July.” dpa
