Alternative Fashion Week

ALTERNATIVE ARTS presents East London’s major fashion event – Alternative Fashion Week. From April 16 to 21 Spitalfields will play host to the most original and creative collections by a fresh crop of new designers with truly innovative ideas.

ALTERNATIVE FASHION WEEK is where all the best new designers are to be discovered. It provides a genuine alternative for them to present their work directly to the press, public and the fashion industry. Designers come from all over the UK and other parts of the world including Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sri Lanka & Uruguay.

OVER EIGHTY DESIGNERS have been selected to show their work. Hundreds of applications were received from independent designers aiming to establish their labels to recent fashion and textile graduates. Expect anything from elegant to edgy.

FOURTEEN DIFFERENT designers will show each day. Original and recycled textiles are a major feature. There’ll be women’s and men’s wear from the sublime to the sensational, with an emphasis on environmental awareness and ethical sourcing.

STUNNING NEW MODELS will be taking to the catwalk with many arriving hot from the special model training course run for 6 weeks prior to Alternative Fashion Week.

FASHION SHOWS will be open to the Press and Public daily at 1.15pm accompanied by ‘The Mannequins’ - a live contemporary Jazz band.

THE FASHION MARKET that surrounds the catwalk from 11am to 5pm each day is a shopping sensation with stalls selling an exotic range of clothes, textiles and accessories.

*STOP PRESS: ALTERNATIVE FASHION WEEK EXTRA
Due to overwhelming popular demand AFW 2012 is being extended to Saturday 21 April to include original designers currently trading regularly in the Spitalfields Traders Market. All designs may be purchased as they come off the catwalk!

ALTERNATIVE ARTS is a publicly funded arts organisation presenting fashion as an exciting and original art form and supporting fresh talent by producing and directing Alternative Fashion Week at no charge to the designers.

ADMISSION IS FREE to this event and includes a programme listing every designer.

PRESS AND BUYERS are invited to reserve front row seats at each Fashion Show by email/phone to ALTERNATIVE ARTS. Special spaces will be allocated for photographers and film crews and wheelchair users.

For further information and images contact:
ALTERNATIVE ARTS 020 7375 0441 [email protected]

Supported by Spitalfields Estate, Haagen-Dazs, YELP, Alternative Arts