Open-Sees: A New (Designer) Trend?

As fans of fashion, we like to see new trends in the fashion world, not just in clothes and accessories, but in ways of doing business. While the open-see isn’t entirely new (as Henri Bendel has been doing this for 40 years), it’s really cool that a large corporate store like Bloomingdale’s is going to get in on the fun.

Today, Friday, Feb. 5, Bloomingdale’s will host their first open-see event from noon-4pm in their New York City flagship location. Indie designers will have a chance to show their creations to major players at Bloomingdale’s. A lucky designer’s creation might catch the eye of Stephanie Solomon, operating vice president for Bloomingdale’s and voilà! – overnight success! For some lucky designer, it will be like a reality television show without the cameras.

Bloomie’s will conduct their open sees on March 6, April 3 and May 1 as well.

This is a great opportunity for designers in the competitive world of fashion. Do you think this will be a trend for other big brand stores/names?

The world of social media already makes the world smaller and closer, and perhaps the creation of more in-person situations like these – big execs/decision makers with direct contact to seemingly everyday people who may possibly be the next best [insert industry title] – will be the way companies look for new ideas, recruit talent, etc. Wait…or is this the good, old-fashion way?