Boston Fashion Week is adding a much needed dash of whimsy to the Boston arts scene. The countdown continues with three more days of artistic inspiration throughout the city. Make sure to attend at least one event! Check the schedule here.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jay Calderin, founder of BFW.
April Gardner: How did you come up with the idea for Boston Fashion Week?
Jay Calderin: There was a great wealth of local fashion talent that nobody seemed to be paying attention to. I knew that if there were a period of time that focused on local fashion you could begin to cultivate relationships with the press and the public as an industry. There is power in numbers.
AG: When was the first BFW, and why did you stop?
JC: The first Boston Fashion Week was in 1995. After our tenth year in 2004 I decided to suspend operations in order to work smarter and re-think how we can best serve both the local fashion industry and the public.
JC: The first Boston Fashion Week was in 1995. After our tenth year in 2004 I decided to suspend operations in order to work smarter and re-think how we can best serve both the local fashion industry and the public.
AG: Why did you revive it?
JC: I brought it back because a better plan was in place, there was access to technology that would allow us to share more information faster, and the timing couldn’t be better. We’re experiencing a real renaissance in fashion.
AG: How is BFW going so far?
JC: We’ve just got to the halfway mark and it has been wonderful. Everyone has been at the top of their game and produced great events and fashion shows. It’s rebuilding bonds as a strong community.
AG: What would you change for next year?
JC: Start planning even earlier, which we’ve already begun.
AG: Who is the best fashion designer out there right now?
JC: I can’t really make statements like that, not so much because I want to be politically correct, but more because I think that so many of the local designers are doing unique things. You need to be able to appreciate them for what they’re good at. It’s so subjective — apples and oranges.
AG: What do you think of the Boston fashion scene?
JC: I think it has great potential. This is a perfect place to cut your teeth and experiment with your image as a designer.
AG: How do you compare the Bostonian fashion sense to NYC or Miami?
JC: I don’t. But if I had to define Boston style, I would say that it’s about fashion serving a life style. A balanced quality of life is very important to most Bostonians. Fashion that doesn’t speak to that standard may be fun to experience as entertainment, but would not be something they will buy into.
AG: More high end stores are opening in Boston everyday, so it seems that Bostonians are starting to care more about fashion. But do you think Bostonians are more stylish, or are they just buying more conspicuously?
JC: I think Bostonians, like every other person in the world with an internet connection and a cable box, now has access to so much information about fashion that they want direct access and more choices. Any major retailer worth mentioning knows that if they don’t serve that demand someone else will.
AG: What have you not done yet that you would like to accomplish in the future?
JC: I would like to centralize the core group of shows so that the public has more direct access and the designers have a home during Boston Fashion Week.
This post is tagged fashion show, interview
