080 Barcelona Fashion reaches 'full capacity' and plans to expand its headquarters

The 34th edition of 080 Barcelona Fashion will be held from October 14 to 17 at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site and has reached its “maximum capacity”, according to the organizers, which has started conversations about expanding the event space.

Jaume Baró, Secretary of Business and Competitiveness of the Generalitat of Catalonia, announced this this Monday during a press conference in which he highlighted the Government's continued “commitment” to 080 Barcelona Fashion. He was accompanied by Marta Coca, director of the event, who also highlighted the challenges and successes of this year's edition.

Baró highlighted that this edition will be “more international than ever,” highlighting that the event has received around 100 requests from international press and influencers who wanted to attend.

Coca was satisfied with the overwhelming number of requests but acknowledged that they will not be able to accommodate everyone: “The track has the capacity it has, the space has the capacity it has and the budget is what it is,” she explained.

He added that the volume of interest includes requests from countries outside the event's usual target audience, highlighting Mexico and Saudi Arabia along with traditional markets such as France, Italy and Germany.

Meanwhile, the Generalitat plans to focus on “extending the life of 080 Barcelona Fashion beyond the two weeks of the show” to continue supporting the competitiveness and development of the local fashion industry.

Asked about the financing of this year's edition, Baró indicated that the budget remains stable at approximately two million euros, a figure “very similar” to that of 2023.

One of the highlights of this year's edition is the addition of luxury brand Louis Vuitton as a sponsor. Coca explained that the alliance arose after recognizing the brand's interest in supporting the cultural and creative dynamism of the city, particularly in the context of the Copa América, of which Louis Vuitton is a sponsor, and its recent parade in the iconic Parc Güell.

The 34th edition will feature a strong line-up of 24 fashion brands, showcasing a wide range of design talents and perspectives. In addition to the fashion shows, this edition will also include the “080 Reborn” initiative, the platform's project dedicated to showing clothing recovered from textile sorting centers and second-hand stores.

According to Coca, the brands participating in the 080 Reborn initiative are “highly committed to the region, sustainability and gender inclusion, embracing a broad perspective of social responsibility.”

Among the participants are labels such as Lebor Gabala, Madridmanso, Escorpion, Simorra, Lola Casademunt by Maite, Guillermina Baeza, Inma Linares, Nathalie Chandler, Outsiders Division, Carlota Barrera or Custo Barcelona. Also on the programming are emerging and innovative brands such as Alsedà, Reparto, All that she love, Fatima Miñana, Lemachet, The Label Edition, Dominnico, Zoe Oms, Alvar Merino, Gau, Reveligion, Habey Club and Paolo Leduc.

Despite these important strides in sustainability and inclusion, Coca emphasized that the organization no longer wants to “speak openly about diversity and sustainability,” suggesting that these values ​​are now deeply ingrained in the platform's DNA.