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"Success comes to the underdog who doesn't let sleeping dogs lie...
(DE-FI) Global INC Presents Fashion Week
Understanding Fashion Week: Laying the Foundation for the Future
Fashion Week is more than a series of runway shows; it’s a pulse point for the global fashion industry. Traditionally, Fashion Week takes place twice a year to showcase Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter collections, giving editors, buyers, stylists, and tastemakers an early look at the trends that will shape consumer markets six months in advance. These events set the tone not only for fashion aesthetics but also for business planning, production cycles, and marketing strategies across the industry.
The Origin of Fashion Week
The concept dates back to 1943, when Eleanor Lambert, a powerful fashion publicist, launched the first official Press Week in New York to draw attention to American designers during World War II when travel to Paris was impossible. However, it was Fern Mallis, former Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, who revolutionized the modern era of Fashion Week in 1993. She centralized fragmented shows by introducing 7th on Sixth, a unified, professionalized platform that created an efficient infrastructure for showcasing talent and conducting business.
The Shift: From Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to the New Era of NYFW
The fashion industry underwent a dramatic transformation in the mid-2010s when Mercedes-Benz officially ended its title sponsorship of New York Fashion Week in 2015, signaling the end of an era. For years, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, produced by IMG, operated under the now-iconic “big tents” model, centralized, high-production shows that drew global press, buyers, and celebrities. But by the early 2010s, cracks began to show. Critics and insiders argued that the event had grown bloated, disconnected from commerce, and overrun by influencers and brands that didn’t reflect industry merit.
In response, NYFW splintered. Independent producers, brands, and venues began hosting decentralized shows across the city, resulting in a fragmented calendar. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) stepped in to regain some order, partnering with WME/IMG and launching platforms like Runway360, while entities like Milk Studios and later Spring Studios emerged as creative hubs for high-fashion presentations.
The shift from centralized production to boutique-style showcases changed how fashion weeks were experienced. Invitation-only events became even more selective, and exclusivity was used strategically to reflect brand identity, protect designer IP, and ensure curated audiences of true stakeholders.
Why We Require Invitation Requests
Just like New York Fashion Week’s most prestigious presentations, our events are invitation-based, not to exclude, but to protect and build. We're cultivating a deliberate, intentional community. Every seat at a (DE-FI)-produced Fashion Week event is a building block in a larger structure: one rooted in economic development, education, talent incubation, and industry transformation.
We’re not chasing numbers or hype. We're laying foundation. Requiring invitations helps us understand who is in the room what they offer, what they seek, and how they align with our long-term goals. Whether it’s a potential investor, future designer, community partner, or creative collaborator, everyone in attendance contributes to shaping the culture and infrastructure we're creating from the ground up.
A Note About “Fashion Week” Events That Aren’t Actually Fashion Week
Fashion Week in any major city is a timeframe, not a single event. And just like in New York or Paris, not every event during that week is officially part of Fashion Week. Many pop-up shows, social media influencer events, and vendor fairs take place during the same dates to ride the visibility wave. While there's space for all types of fashion expression, it’s important to understand that these are not industry-standard runway presentations tied to long-term fashion business growth or global trade cycles.
Mistaking these pop-ups for official Fashion Week shows can distort expectations. Our Fashion Weeks, Dayton, Cincinnati, and (DE-FI), adhere to a deliberate strategy that prioritizes industry readiness, career development, and infrastructure over performative fashion moments. We’re not just hosting shows; we’re cultivating fashion as an economic driver and cultural asset.
Where Most Regional Fashion Weeks Fall Short
Over the years, regional fashion events have emerged in cities around the world, however, many fail to align with the broader fashion industry calendar, standards, or goals. Instead of functioning as professional platforms for market-ready designers and buyers, they often become hyperlocal showcases that prioritize performance over infrastructure, visibility over longevity, and exposure over business growth.
What (DE-FI) Global INC is Doing Differently
This year marks our first return to Fashion Week since the pandemic, and the debut of Fashion Week of Cincinnati. We’re using this moment not to rush back into flashy events, but to strategically reset and reimagine what Fashion Week can and should be for our region.
(DE-FI) Global INC is returning to the roots of Fashion Week, just like Fern Mallis did when she laid the foundation for New York Fashion Week’s rise to international prominence. We’re stripping things back to their purpose: industry development, infrastructure building, and market readiness.
Our Fashion Weeks are a system being built to support fashion’s full pipeline, from raw talent to global industry engagement.
- Dayton Fashion Week, (July 10-13, 2025), Theme: Unorthodox. is Dayton Fashion Week is the capstone for the Fashion Incubator of Dayton and an educational and community-focused experience for emerging designers.
- (DE-FI) Fashion Week, (September 16-20, 2025),Theme: The Fabric of the Industry. (DE-FI) Fashion Week connects the full spectrum, highlighting the hidden labor, innovation, and careers that make the fashion industry run.
- Fashion Week of Cincinnati, (November 5-8, 2025), Theme: Amplify. This is our outward-facing industry showcase,we’re lifting up designers, stylists, retailers, and creatives who often operate in the margins, while connecting them to platforms, press, and pipelines amplifying regional talent, retail partners, and co-producers in a more market-ready format.
Together, these events aren’t about copying the traditional runway formula. They’re about modernizing the original mission of Fashion Week to fit the realities and needs of the Midwest’s growing fashion economy. We’re laying the groundwork for long-term transformation, not just seasonal spectacle or entertainment.
This is what it means to (DE-FI)ne the future of fashion.
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Website Update in Progress!!
We’re currently refreshing and updating our website including important forms and features to better serve you! Some areas may be temporarily unavailable as we work behind the scenes. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Our goal is to have everything updated and ready by Saturday, July 5th.In the meantime, be on the lookout for invitations and RSVP links for Dayton Fashion Week. Emails will come from:info@defiglobalinc.com with a sender name: (DE-FI) Global INC. Make sure to check your inbox and spam folders deadlines are approaching!