With over 370 brands, 68% of them international, and a strong turnout of professionals attending the shows and visiting the trade fair, Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week has thoroughly established itself as one of the largest global platforms for bridal fashion. The presence of international designers such as Reem Acra, Carlo Pignatelli, Amsale, and Peter Langner, together with leading Spanish companies, has given the event full representation of the international wedding fashion market. Tonight, after a week dedicated to fashion, BBFW finishes off its 28th year with a record increase in buyers.
Exhibitions by 27 major firms and the more than 28,000 wedding and formal dresses and accessories on display at the trade fair have drawn an audience that, leading up to the close of the event, is estimated at over 20,000 visitors—6% more than in 2017—including buyers, guests, and members of the fashion industry from 90 different countries. This year, BBFW, organized by Fira de Barcelona, has brought together 370 firms—20% more than last year—with 68% of those coming from 28 other countries—3% more than in 2017, and the highest percentage ever in the history of the event.
Over 1,000 key buyers attended the showcase—17% more than last year—with over half coming from European countries outside of Spain, especially from Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands, along with others from the United States, Brazil, and Japan, all target countries for the event in its process of internationalization.
The BBFW runway: the stage for the trends of 2019
Likewise, 27 prestigious firms have chosen BBFW for presenting their creations for the Spring/Summer 2019 season, both on its runway and in emblematic locations in Barcelona: Pronovias has presented at the Pabellón Italiano in the Recinto de Montjuïc, Rosa Clarà in the Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau, Jordi Dalmau at the Teatro Condal, YolanCris on the Avenida María Cristina, and Reem Acra at the Atarazanas de Barcelona.
The event’s runway has hosted exhibitions by Sophie et Voilà Collection, Carlo Pignatelli (Italy, celebrating a career of 50 years), Isabel Sanchís and Inmaculada García, Marylise & Rembo Styling, Isabel Zapardiez, Ana Torres, Cymbeline (France), Marco & María, Matilde Cano, Esther Noriega, Ramón Sanjurjo, Carla Ruiz, Sonia Peña, and Demetrios and Maggie Sottero (United States). It was also the setting for the New Talent Show exhibition featuring the creations of the young designers Alejandro Resta, Mar Rodriguez, Laura Riera, and Simone Marulli (Italy).
Barcelona Bridal Night, held at the Museu Marítim de Barcelona, featured an exhibition by Reem Acra, the creator of looks for international celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Lopez, and one of the most recognized designers worldwide. Acra presented 30 outfits from her Spring 2019 collection that captured the attention of the more than 500 guests who participated in Barcelona Bridal Night, the event’s evening gala.
According to Estermaria Laruccia, director of Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, “Fashion, internationality, and market representation form the backbone of Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, which has established itself as the ‘bridal capital’ of the world thanks to the quality of its content, the presence of major national and international brands, and the attendance of high-power buyers who grow more numerous and more interested in BBFW year after year. Our goal is to continue on this track, sharing our enthusiasm for our project with national and international firms and buyers.”
Meanwhile, Marta Raich, president of BBFW, confirms, “The runway of BBFW 2018 has been a showcase of haute couture, design, quality, and style, as well as a spectacular mise-en-scène. Over these five days, the firms’ textile craftsmanship and passion for quality have shone through in every one of the more than 900 creations that have been walked on the runway of BBFW, which is now a global benchmark.”
Presenting the ELLE International Bridal Awards
In conjunction with BBFW, the second edition of the ELLE International Bridal Awards was held on Friday night in the auditorium of the Universidad de Barcelona, bringing together over 400 guests at a ceremony hosted by the actress Rossy de Palma. The awards, which were presented in Barcelona this year and in Milan in 2017, recognize talent and excellence in various sectors of the bridal world and are the most prestigious awards in the global wedding fashion industry.
This year, the prizes went to such well-known firms as Carolina Herrera, Reem Acra, and Viktor & Rolf, as well as to two Spanish companies: Pronovias, which received the award for the best advertising campaign, and the Basque firm Sophie et Voilà, which was recognized as Best New Talent.
This week dedicated to wedding and party dresses and accessories will return to Fira de Barcelona in the spring of 2019 to present the greatest bridal fashion firms’ 2020 collections.
Barcelona, April 29, 2018
Descriptions of the collections presented on the runway here
Mª Gloria Dilluvio – Prensa Fira de Barcelona 93 233 21 72 – 609 73 47 70 gdilluvio@firabarcelona.com
Eva Martín – XXL Comunicación 93 452 65 00 eva@xxlcomunicacion.com
