Finding Designer Trunk Shows for Men's and Women's Fashions

Designer trunk shows are events that retailers and designers have for the general public. The public rarely attends or gets an invitation to the more conventional runway shows. Designer trunk shows are becoming more common and it should be easy to find one if you live close to a larger city. A designer trunk show for a specific product will require traveling to the location. Sometimes the show is repeated in other cities.

Know the Product

The key to locating a designer trunk show is to know the product. Designers have shows for all types of products such as jewelry, luggage, dresses (especially wedding dresses), men's clothing, and many other things in the designer's product line.

Find a major Retailer

Major department stores are a good place to start. Ask to speak with their most knowledgeable fashion expert or top buyer. Even if the store has no plans for a show the contact may know where to find one. A person with inside knowledge of the industry is valuable and should be nurtured for a long term relationship.

City Calendar Compilations

Designer trunk shows are going on all the time in major cities. Calendars of upcoming shows throughout the cities are available. San Fransisco is a major fashion center in the United States where many designers often hold trunk shows. SF is also a major outlet for independent designers. The SF Indie Fashion Calendar is a wonderful source of upcoming events.

Fashion Designers

Getting to know the designer or the staff is one of the better ways to keep up with locating designer trunk shows. Fashion Windows keeps a list of the major designers and it quite comprehensive. The list has detailed information for each designer and their contact information, including phone numbers. The list is world wide and contains enough information to be a major resource in the search for designer trunk shows.

Internet Search

Much information is available by searching the Internet. Information about a specific product may be difficult to locate using the Internet as a resource. Combining all of the suggestions in this article will go along way to finding out where a trunk show is being held.

Keep in mind that just because there are many designer trunk shows, some designers work in season and sometimes they take long breaks as they design new products. January through May is considered designer trunk show season. Depending on the designer the time lag can be quite long. Make a lot of contacts and don't give up the search. It may be hard work, but with great effort comes great rewards.

Sources: personal experience talking to friends and relatives in the industry.