Centergross, together with the most important institutions in the Bologna and Emilia Romagna area and the most important trade associations, invite Bolognese companies to nominate their projects for the realization of the first edition of the Bologna Fashion Festival which will be held from 12 to 14 September 2024
You have until July 10th to submit proposals for participation in the first edition of the Bologna Fashion Festival (BFF) which will be held from 12th to 14th September 2024, an event that celebrates Italian fashion, characterized by an imprint of quality, authenticity and innovation. Through fashion shows, conferences, events and a “White Night”, the festival will transform the center of Bologna into a widespread stage for fashion and culture.
Promoted by Centergross in collaboration with the Metropolitan City of Bologna, the Municipality of Bologna, the Emilia Romagna Region, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts, Agriculture of Bologna and the trade associations CNA Federmoda, Confesercenti Bologna, Confartigianato Bologna, Confcommercio Imprese per l’Italia Ascom Metropolitan City of Bologna and with the patronage of Confindustria Emilia AREA Centro, the Festival is configured as a powerful catalyst that combines culture, art, economy and tourism with fashion, transforming the city into an epicenter of innovative and sustainable trends. With the Bologna Fashion Festival, Centergross not only celebrates the excellence of the fashion sector, but also strengthens the intrinsic link between local creativity and the global context, promoting Bologna as a leading destination on the international fashion scene.
Through the Call for Proposal, the entire world linked to fashion – companies, shops, schools, universities, associations, committees, start-ups, designers, brands, fashion institutes, artisans, artists, creatives, professionals – are invited to present ideas for initiatives that reflect the values of quality, authenticity and innovation and that promote Made in Italy including fashion shows, artistic exhibitions, workshops or other projects that contribute to enriching the festival calendar, helping to transform Bologna into a reference epicenter for fashion international level.
On the website www.bolognafashionfestival.it there are all the details relating to the BFF, the admission criteria for the events and the format to be filled in for the registration which must be sent by 10 July 2024.
Bologna Fashion Festival. The project
The Bologna Fashion Festival is a key event for Bologna and for the Italian Textile/Clothing sector. Through an innovative format, the event promotes initiatives proposed by the protagonists of local fashion with the aim of involving all local commercial, tourist and productive realities, from local shops to shopping centres, hotels, restaurants etc., integrating them into the metropolitan context .
The Call for Proposal. Who is it aimed at?
The Call for Proposal allows companies, designers, brands, fashion institutes, artisans, artists and professionals to present ideas for fashion shows, art exhibitions, workshops and conferences on the latest trends and innovations, such as the use of artificial intelligence in fashion. The involvement of schools and universities will be fundamental to the success of the Bologna Fashion Festival. Thanks to strategic partnerships, the festival will offer students unique opportunities for learning and immersion in the professional world of fashion, enriching their educational path and creating a closer link between the academic and industrial worlds, encouraging the exchange of ideas and new collaborations . The festival will also involve the entire fashion supply chain, including tailors, shoemakers, leather goods which, often as small individual businesses, manage to repair and revitalize shoes, bags and clothes, thus promoting a vision of “Circular Economy” which gives a second or even a third life to objects.
Bologna Fashion Festival. Events
The Bologna Fashion Festival will be inaugurated by an afterparty which will be one of the highlights and aims to become a reference event in the international fashion calendar, a meeting point between tradition and innovation, where professionals, enthusiasts and new generations can discover, share and be inspired by the timeless beauty and creativity of Italian fashion. It will be composed of a series of micro and macro events (fashion shows, workshops, conferences, exhibitions, shows, installations, etc.) organized in collaboration with entrepreneurial activities and supported by institutions, aiming at the promotion-marketing of the territory. For buyers, the press and institutions, the objective is to encourage the development of local businesses on internal and external markets, creating opportunities for local well-being.
Bologna Fashion Festival. Origin and objectives
Centergross, promoter of the event, organizes exclusive initiatives such as Winter Melody and Summer in Italy, two events that combine fashion and entertainment, music, conferences on the importance of ready-to-wear fashion in the global context, debates on the application of AI in fashion design and special evening openings of the district’s shops.
Today shopping has become an experience to be lived and told, often accompanied by cultural events such as book presentations and meetings with personalities from the world of art and design. This makes shopping a unique opportunity to revitalize local businesses. It is therefore essential to create a coordinated project to enhance shopping as a strategic element for urban tourism, with an integrated offer of hotels, restaurants, shops and meeting places, which allows us to respond to the needs of tourists, given the importance of shopping as a travel or visit motivation.
To guarantee coherence and excellence in the proposed events, the “Fashion Table” coordinated by Bologna Metropolitan City will have a crucial role in developing the admission criteria, ensuring that each initiative reflects the high standards and identity of Made in Italy. Priority will be given to proposals that best represent innovation in design, sustainability, craftsmanship and the ability to tell unique stories through fashion and its related industries.
CALL FOR PROPOSAL (expires 10 July 2024)
APPLY YOUR PROJECT BY FILLING OUT THE FORM FOR PROPOSAL
Contacts – Bologna Fashion Festival
BOLOGNA FASHION FESTIVAL: ADMISSION CRITERIA
1. Thematic Affinity with FASHION
- Interpretative Breadth: the event must interpret the theme of fashion in a transversal sense, exploring not only the aspects traditionally associated with clothing and accessories, but also
the connections of fashion with art, history, technology, sustainability, food, design, automotive, cinema, music, education, culture and Made in Italy in general.
- Innovation and Creativity: We encourage submissions that demonstrate an innovative and creative approach to fashion, including experimental designs and original presentation formats.
2. Organizational and Financial Autonomy
- Self-management: the organizers will have to coordinate the event in total autonomy, from planning to implementation, without depending logistically or financially on the central organization of the Bologna Fashion Festival.
- Financial Sustainability: the costs of the proposed event will be fully borne by the organizers of the same.
3. Promotion of Made in Italy
- Italian Production: the event must promote products or services that are entirely Made in Italy, enhancing the quality, craftsmanship and innovation that characterize the Italian brand in the world of fashion.
- Made in Italy narrative: proposals that include a strong narrative component linked to Made in Italy are valorised, capable of telling the stories behind the Italian and, hopefully, Bolognese brands, designers and artisans.
4. Approval of the Control Room
- Compliance with Festival Standards: all proposals must be submitted to the Bologna Fashion Festival control room for approval. This step ensures that the event is in line with the quality, ethical and image standards of the festival.
- Feedback and Review: the proposals received will be evaluated and admitted or not to the BBF initiative solely on the opinion of the Control Room. It may happen that the Cdr deems that there is a need for discussion with the proponents for possible adjustments on some aspects of the projects presented, in order to bring them into line with the objectives of the initiative.
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