How Much Does a Fashion Show Cost?
Is it worth it?
Fashion is a $2.5 trillion dollar industry, so it may seem logical that some designers pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to show their collections during fashion week and position themselves as market leaders to get their share of audience attention and dollars. As designers struggle to fund these 15-minute brand moments through investors and beauty sponsors, it’s no wonder some brands have turned to selling tickets to consumers in exchange for the front-row experience. As Fashion Month marches on with the New York shows ending last week and the fashion set heading to Europe to view the collections in London, Milan, and Paris — let’s review the numbers on just how much it costs to get your clothes in front of media and tastemakers for your typical15-minutes runway show.
Cost Breakdown of a Runway Show
Christian Siriano — who has shown his collections in 18 seasons of NYFW, and often opts for a custom venue — shared a financial breakdown of the cost of producing a NYFW show in an interview with Vogue Business.
$40,000-$60,000 — Models. For a model with a big name & following, add $20,000.
$20,000-$50,000 — Venue rental
$10,000-$40,000 — Lighting, price depends on the venue setup
$5,000-$10,000 — Audio
$20,000-$30,000 — Production, typically a single fee to a company
$5,000-$10,000 — Chairs and benches are the least expensive; risers cost at least double
$20,000-$100,000 — Set design
$2,000-$5,000 — Catering for backstage and team dinners
$5,000-$7,000 — Car services for team errands and VIP arrivals
$0 — Hair, makeup, and nails are always sponsored
TOTAL: $125,000-$312,000 — Not including the cost of runway samples
What Is The ROI
Launchmetrics' data analytic's tool uses an algorithm to measure media impact value [MIV]. For instance, Ralph Lauren's widely publicized 50th-anniversary show generated $38 million in media impact value. This MIV number is essentially a quantification of marketing efforts that are not generated by paid or owned media. On average, a 10 to 15-minute fashion show can cost anywhere in the ballpark of $200,000 to well over $1 million. Thus, big-name designers can see a significant ROI by the measure of the MIV number.
What are your thoughts and the money spent on staging a fashion show? Leave a comment below. Follow Fashion League on Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter for Faux or Fashion™ trivia, and the latest job postings from some of your favorite companies.
