Oslo Fashion Week calls off upcoming edition

The upcoming February edition of Oslo's Fashion Week (OFW) has been canceled. Last September OFW lost

its main sponsor, L'Oreal, and ever since then the event has been under pressure to continue expanding as the biggest fashion event in Norway.

According to OFW's founder, Pål Vasbotten it was necessary to change the fashion week in order to survive. “The implementation of [the changes] would go beyond the event to such an extent that is was necessary to cancel one or two seasons,” commented Vasbotten to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.  

Last year Vasbotten announced his departure from his role as CEO for OFW, stating that in order to ensure the fashion week's survival, it could not remain the sole property of one individual or be solely organized by one man. He added that it was not possible to combine the activities surrounding OFW and the construction of a new organizational model. Vasbotten also highlighted the lack of cooperation in the Norwegian fashion industry as one of the reasons for the fashion week's cancellation.  

“At this moment, OFW is not ready for a new decade. Currently there is no new owner and no new management to run the fashion week. The cooperation between the fashion week's most important players is non-existed. Additionally, there are far too few designers who recognize the value of a separate presentation of their collections, or who can afford one,” said Vasbotten to online newspaper Dagbladet.no.  

During its ten year existence, OFW has become one of the most important fashion events for Norwegian designers. However over the past few years, the fashion week has endured ongoing criticism, partly because the organization failed to garner enough attention and showcase sufficient designers or labels. “OFW is more of a freakshow, or a 'Oslo Celeb Week,' than an actual fashion week,” stated Dagbladet.no.  

The former CEO of OFW is unwilling to reveal details surrounding the future plans or organization of the fashion week, but added that it was too soon to say whether the fall edition would still go on.