Stylist Danie Bles acquires Amsterdam Fashion Week

By

Shomara Roosblad

Published
Nov 15, 2017

Dutch stylist Danie Bles has acquired Amsterdam Fashion Week (AFW) from former owner, Dutch media company Telegraaf Media Groep.

In an interview with AFW, Bles commented: “This is the right moment for me to begin a new challenge. I have been in the field for 20 years and I can use that experience. I always wanted to have my own fashion platform, and I've been dreaming of designing creative concepts that inspire people. All eyes are on me now and I certainly realize that.”

With Bles in charge, AFW will take place in February and September. In recent years the event was staged in January and July. According to Bles, the new dates better reflect consumer needs.

Bles will also focus more on producing daily content on the AFW website, as well as live streams of the shows to attract more consumers to the events. “Fashion Week should be experienced throughout the whole city. I want to design store windows and collaborate with shops, so people can buy the collections right away,” Bles told AFW.

Amsterdam Fashion Week launched in the Netherlands in 2004. In 2010 owner Pieter de Haan sold the company to Brand2Event Group and Maussen Group. In 2016 Telegraaf Media Groep purchased AFW, and the group announced a year later that the company was on sale again. At the time, the media company argued that it did not yield enough from the event. Telegraaf, however, will remain the media partner of Amsterdam Fashion Week.

In the Netherlands, Danie Bles is known as a stylist of Dutch celebrities. In addition to styling, she has also produced fashion shows, operates a blog, owns a vintage store in Amsterdam and a styling academy for upcoming stylists. The first Amsterdam Fashion Week under Bles will take place in February 2018.