VIDEO: Latvian Fashion of the Year Award 2020 opens

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The event takes place at “Digital Art House” in Riga.

This autumn session of Riga Fashion Week will be different from all previous seasons and is organized taking into account all the necessary precautions. Not only the Baltic Fashion Federation, which is the organizers of RFW, but also fashion designers have adapted to the new standards.

Ekaterina Kovalenko, founder of the enthusiastic design community Soyka Secret Garden, notes: “The main lesson I have learned during the pandemic is the need to unite small designer brands that are not working in the mass market. During this difficult time, several Latvian fashion brands and one Estonian – Goodlooking. “

The self-isolation of the “Cinnamon Concept” brand has also become a time of creative cooperation – in the spring, the association of designers 4-Union was formed. As a result, the Studio Designers 4 studio was opened in Riga in May, where the collections of the brands Iveta Vecmane, Vaskala, Hanna by Cinnamon Concept and the works of jeweler Valdis Brože are presented. “It seems that this period brought us back to the beginning of our creative journey, when we have to prove ourselves again, experiment with touch. Support for customers and like-minded people is most important. Together we can adapt to the ‘new reality’ and continue to develop,” says Hannah Pouen Concept founder.

The brand “Iveta Vecmane” has adapted to the digital environment in time – after participating in “United Fashion х 48H Maisons de Mode Lille” last autumn, the reward received was the inclusion of the collection in the virtual showroom Playologie for one year. This not only attracted the attention of foreign customers and the media, but also enabled the presence of the international fashion market in the digital space of the Covid-19 period.

The designers of the “One Wolf” brand with the new collection “Shadow Man” are also continuing their work, moreover, at the beginning of October the presentation of the current collection “City Monk” took place in the streets of Riga.

The restrictions also affected the Nolo brand. “During the emergency announced in the spring, we were helped by the fact that in January we expected to increase the need for face masks, previously producing them as promotional products. At the same time, all efforts were made to develop online sales. Our partner showroom in China and Hong Kong continued to operate. presented in person to Asian customers, “notes” Nolo “designer Viktorija Joniene.

The participants of the current RIGA FASHION WEEK session – Latvian fashion designers – agree that the difficult period for the economy and especially for the fashion industry will pass, but the approach to business will change forever. According to designer Natalija Jansone, the digital format will dominate in the coming years. “Fabric manufacturers around the world have adapted to the current situation and take orders online. Stylists also work remotely, creating costumes, trying out models on online mannequins with a similar body design to the customer,” says Natalia.

Another obvious trend among Latvian RFW designers is the development of online sales and the promotion of online stores. According to Agnese Narņicka (One Wolf), online shopping will come to the fore in the near future, thus developing online showrooms, fashion shows will take place as short films, 3D videos and other alternative formats.

In the 32nd season, new collections of such leading Latvian designers as: Iveta Vecmane, Katya Katya London, Natalija Jansone, Nolo, Noname Atelier, One Wolf, Cinnamon Concept, Selina Keer, ALEXANDER PAVLOV and this season’s debut – Collected Story will be shown. There will also be traditional children’s shows, this time presented by the brands Aristocrat Kids, Baronessa and Rock and Mouse.

The program will also include a vintage show of the vintage brand Volga Vintage “Reloaded”, which will take place shortly before midnight.