In 2014 Campagnoni sold her modelling business and put her focus entirely on AFW and her husband's growing fashion brokerage business. This new focus helped Campagnoni make changes to the event each year to keep the event fresh and exciting. Some aspects get expanded year to year as others are scaled back a little with the intension to make the event more inclusive while keeping true to her vision to put the East Coast Fashion Industry in the spotlight. “People always ask me, ‘why do you still do this’ and I say it is a little bit of crazy and a little bit of passion and I think in the fashion industry you need a good combination of both,” says Campagnoni. I think in the fashion industry you need a good combination of both.” “People always ask me, ‘why do you still do this’ and I say it is a little bit of crazy and a little bit of passion and
Campagnoni, who is a self-proclaimed big picture thinker, by that we mean that she puts the cart before the horse. So, when she got the idea for AFW, first she created her pitch for the event, then went out and secured sponsors. “Businesses were looking for something different to get involved with, they came on board with the concept and wanted to be involved, now I just had to come up with the designers.” She goes on to say, “Looking back at it now, wow, I really did that backwards, I should have come up with a business plan of how we were going to do this, but I just jumped in with both feet and didn’t worry about the fine details as that is what stops people from moving forward with the ideas that they have because they get bogged down in the fine details, then they start to second guess themselves and then they walk away from it, my vision was what AFW would look like after five years and how it would help local designers and the East Coast fashion industry get exposure. I was not focused on how hard we would have to work in the first few years to get it there, I just wanted it to happen.”
Combination seems like a goodword to use for AFW, as each night has young designers just graduating along with up and coming designers paired up with established designers, this creates excitement for both the designers and for those attending the events as they are going to see everything merged together, which gives them exposure to designers that they might not have heard of, and then they walk away after the show wanting their clothing and a new fan of their designs and a customer of the brand. Which is what the event is all about, building and growing the industry. “Looking back at it now, wow, I really did that backwards, I should have come up with a business plan of how we were going to do this, but I just jumped in with both feet…”
KEIKAIKOA
This year’s opening night will have the Halifax Shopping Centre partnering up with AFW, in a new way as they will be the host of the event that will take place under the skydome area to spotlight the amazing renovations that have been completed at the centre. This event will have seating for 150 to 200 people and will be an all ages events which is something new for AFW as most events in the past have been nineteen plus events. It will also see both ticketed and free seating offering the opportunity for everyone to be part of this amazing week with a more casual vibe, but still giving attendees a full-on production. AFW partners with designers to offer full-on runway experience, with exposure to buyers and customers in the industry to showcase the amazing designer talent that is here on the East Coast. AFW offers these designers the opportunity to be part of a successful industry production that can get a buzz going around about their designs and brand which can launch their careers to the next level.
For designers looking to get involved with AFW, there is an application process. Usually four months before AFW there is an online application where designers can go online and apply to be part of AFW. Once the application deadline closes, they are reviewed by an independent jury and not selected by Campagnoni herself as part of the selection process for designers to be part of AFW which includes designers at all levels ready to showcase. Campagnoni focuses her attention on pairing the designers together to give the best showing for each event for AFW so that it truly does offer something for all ages and sizes for attendees. Campagnoni’s mission is to remain committed to supporting the budding and well-known fashion designers in Atlantic Canada as well as the rest of Canada. Her vision to honor the evolving artists of the East Coast and to display their brilliant creations for everyone to appreciate and offer them additional training and skills to help them build their business and brands comes out when speaking with her. “Fashion is what you want to make it.” As Campagnoni says, “Fashion is what you want to make it.” This year’s AFW is all about inclusivity on and off the runway and getting people involved in fashion and will showcase 25 designers at events throughout Halifax. To learn more about the event or to get tickets for AFW you can go to their website at atlanticfashionweek.com
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50 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2019
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