'Bath in Fashion', a brand new festival, involving catwalk shows, free street events and exhibitions, is to launch throughout the city from 14th to 17th April 2010.
The festival celebrates Bath’s high fashion stakes; Milsom Street has just been voted Britain’s best fashion street in the Google Street View Awards, against fierce competition from a shortlist of 20 streets across the UK, selected by a panel of experts.
The lively programme of events over the 4 days includes:
Catwalk shows of the hottest designers’s latest collections and this season’s high street fashion. 4pm & 7pm, Thursday 15 April, the Octagon, Milsom Place. Tickets £10.
Fashion Street Party (FREE) with a funky street fashion vibe, plus the latest trends in children, tweens and teens. Music, dance and mini catwalk shows throughout the SouthGate shopping centre. Saturday, 17 April, all day. Free admission.
Fashion ‘n Fizz - a glam <a href="http://www.bathinfashion.co.uk" target="_blank">Bath in Fashion </a>evening set around the Roman Baths, will see the modern day “duchesses” strutting the runway in this stunning setting. Friday 16th April, 8pm. Tickets £30, includes a glass of bubbly and dinner.
<a href="http://www.ddaydonate.charityshops.org.uk" target="_blank">Donate Don’t Dump</a> : a city-wide initiative to donate your good quality wardrobe castoffs, inspired by retail guru Mary Portas, ‘Mary Queen of Shops’, runs throughout the festival in aid of Save the Children. The Donate Don’t Dump HQ (the drop off location for clothing) is the Octagon in Milsom Place from 6th – 9th April. A set in each of the Bath in Fashion Catwalk Shows will be styled from all the items donated.
Other events include special exhibitions focused on fashion, a festival screening of the fashion documentary “The September Issue”, a 'Window on Fashion' walking tour of the city, and an illustrated talk by the Manager of Bath’s Fashion Museum entitled Ten 1960s Fashion Designers (to tie in with the museum's new exhibition about fashion photography from that decade).
Bath's diverse range of fashion retailers have really got behind the festival and are contributing their latest Spring/Summer collections for all the events above, as well as organising their own in-store promotions.
Local Creatives behind the scenes:
Bristol-based events company Bright are one of the agencies involved with Bath in Fashion. Alistair Paul from Bright comments: "We are producing 4 catwalk shows across 3 days, co-ordinating over 40 retailers and styling over 200 looks. We’re managing the production teams, co-ordinating stylists, make-up, hair, building marquees and channelling the creative energies of the retailers. We’re very excited about the project, overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the retailers and already looking forward to 2011."
The models for the catwalk shows have been sourced by Bristol and London model agency Gingersnap, whilst the logo and brochure have been produced by Bath News & Media.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.bathinfashion.co.uk
