In the ever-changing world of fashion, where constant reinvention is a necessity, innovation and creativity lead the transformative experience known as 080 Barcelona Fashion Week.
Once again, Barcelona Fashion Week showcases its avant-garde in design, fashion, and trends. However, we cannot overlook the social impact it exerts, thanks to the crucial role of digital communication.
080 Barcelona Fashion is a platform that seeks to transform the fashion industry, not only in Catalonia but also at the national and international levels. It is more than just a runway; it propels change through sustainability, circularity, and diversity in fashion, transcending traditional boundaries through dialogue, reflection, and the exploration of new forms of expression and consumption within the sector.
We sat down with Marta Coca Ortiga, Director of 080 Barcelona Fashion and the Fashion Area of the CCAM (Consorci de Comerç, Artesania i Moda de la Generalitat de Catalunya), and discussed the challenge posed by this digital transformation. Marta shared insights into integrating fashion, innovation, and the digital world, unlocking new possibilities for reinvention within the fashion industry.
What is the biggest communication challenge at a Fashion Week?
I believe it lies in ensuring that content and communication are growing and developing simultaneously. It’s crucial for me not to select content without knowing the communication objectives, and vice versa. Instead, both strategies should work in synergy.
Depending on the content and communication challenges that arise, we adjust and align our strategies. The initial seasons are usually tough, but as they progress, all teams – both digital marketing and communication teams – evolve, and things become more solid.
Currently, we face a significant challenge in positioning the platform with the goal of putting brands on the international radar. Collections serve as our means of expression. At 080 Barcelona Fashion, we feature brands of all kinds, from more traditional to highly futuristic and emerging ones. Our target audience spans from millennials to the increasingly powerful Generation Z, which is integrating into the consumer base. That’s why we believe that both online and offline strategies must go hand in hand to avoid any imbalance.
Is there anything you consider essential, something without which you couldn’t communicate?
I couldn’t communicate if Catalonia didn’t have a robust fashion ecosystem. If all of this were artificial, if we didn’t have emerging designers, if we didn’t have established brands with this tradition, we couldn’t host a Fashion Week like we have today with our unique touch, so distinctly Barcelona.
In the digital realm, how significant is digital communication for you in a Fashion Week of this magnitude?
Although I’m not a native of the digital era, nowadays, the digital world is everything. I believe that in the current times, people navigate omnichannel environments, meaning that strategies across different communication channels must go hand in hand for your audience to seamlessly transition from one path to another. What is clear is that digital platforms help create a community, and nowadays, one cannot showcase values and build audience loyalty without a solid and engaged community. That’s why 080 Barcelona Fashion has specialized teams and increasingly digital brands, aiming to foster a “080 movement,” values, and consequently, engagement with communities that go beyond the content offered in each edition. This ensures that the community remains connected to 080, embracing its values and uniqueness.