A delegation of 22 Estonian design brands will participate at the DC Fashion Week in the capital of the United States.
The aim of bringing Estonian fashion and design to Washington, DC, is to introduce strong Estonian brands in the US, to create long-lasting cooperation possibilities and to develop e-commerce of the sector.
Estonian design brands were invited to the DC Fashion Week by Maria Contreras-Sweet, Barack Obama’s cabinet member, during her visit to Estonia.
The DC Fashion Week programme will include a show of Estonian clothes and accessories, the designers will have meetings with media and buyers and there will be a joint pop-up exhibition of the country’s fashion and design brands at the Estonian embassy in Washington.
“So far only a few Estonian designers have managed to enter the demanding, but interesting US market. However, Estonian design is worth introducing. Once on stage, our brands will speak for themselves and I hope very much that this high-level fashion event will bring some mutually beneficial agreements,” Liisa Oviir, the Estonian minister of entrepreneurship, said in a statement.
The best of Estonian fashion design
On 25 September, the Carnegie Library will host a fashion show, “EFBA presents: The Best of Estonian Fashion Design”, within the framework of International Couture Collections Show. It will bring on stage over 100 looks from Estonia, all styled to match.
“Compiling the show we were imagining the lifestyle of a successful Washington design consumer. We decided to include a broad variety of design brands, starting from denim style with the message of reuse, to everyday clothing suitable for business meetings, to designs for evening receptions and galas,” Oksana Tandit and Evelin Ojamets, the authors of the show and cofounders of the Estonian Fashion Brands Association, said.
According to Maire Milder, the head of retail concepts and branding at Baltika, the largest and oldest Estonian fashion retailer, the country’s fashion should be seen on catwalks around the world.
“We have already proven ourselves in Europe, where, for instance, the Monton brand is sold successfully in department stores. The US fashion market is difficult, but we believe we have something unique to offer – our very own design style and very good quality,” Milder said.
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Cover: Monton’s AW16 campaign image.
