Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicked off at Smashbox Studios on Sunday with a five-day run planned for this season. But the future of the event is uncertain.
In a story headlined "Los Angeles Fashion Week: Is the Party Over?," The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Smashbox Studio Cosmetics has announced the dissolution of its five-year partnership with IMG World to produce the local version of fashion week. And although the brand hopes to continue putting on the shows in 2009, Smashbox co-owner Davis Factor has said that he can’t be sure that he’ll be able to retain the sponsors necessary to produce the $1 million event with the economy in trouble, according to the report.
Los Angeles fashion week is commonly regarded to be less significant than weeks in other cities like New York, Milan, and Paris. Before this week is up, 23 designers will show in an official capacity, most of them little known. In comparison, New York hosted 81 offiical shows. Further, L.A.'s fashion week scene has a reputation for being more about social interaction and celebrity culture than about serious fashion.
