‘The future of fashion is happening right here’: Boston Fashion Week returns for its 30th anniversary – The Boston Globe

Calderín came up with the idea for the event after he moved to Boston from New York City in 1989 and covered 7th on Sixth, which was New York Fashion Week’s name in the 1990s.

He liked the idea of a central location for events and focus on the New York fashion scene. “I thought we could do something similar here for our local talent,” he said, adding that while there’s always been a scene in Boston, “there wasn’t this focus one time of year.”

For Calderín, highlighting local talent and welcoming newcomers has remained a priority. It’s also set Boston Fashion Week apart from runways in other cities and reminded people they don’t have to leave for industry opportunities. Calderín points to local schools that produce new designers annually such as the School of Fashion Design and Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and retailers like Chanel, Valentino, and Armani that see Boston as a viable option for stores.

This year, BFW’s opening day, Sept. 28, featured a collaboration with the Cambridge Science Festival’s Fashion Day, where various programs centered the future of fashion.

“People talk about major cities like New York and Paris, but the future of fashion is happening right here,” Calderín said. “This is the new frontier because of technology and science.”

New developments can be seen in clothing and the classroom, from designs that explore performance fabrics to the MIT course “Introduction to Three-Dimensional Art Work: Textiles, Fashion, and Performative Art.”

This year’s BFW events include an installation of emerging designers Oct. 9 and House Fashion Week shows Oct. 11 and 12.

Oct. 13 kickstarts a week of packed programming with bold men’s fashion at the RegiJames Productions Fierce Styles Menswear Fashion Show, the beauty pageant Miss India New England: Timeless Fashion Show, and LoveCashionista’s vibrant designs at the LoveCashFashion Show.

On Oct. 15, HumanKind’s Every Body Belongs show will focus on inclusivity, featuring traditional and adaptive designers as well as models of varying ages, sizes, and abilities. Designers Sense-ational You, befree, My Skirt Dealer, and Qlynton: Wavvz Concepts will show their work, including sensory-conscious clothing and wrap skirts from upcycled Indian Sari material.

HumanKind founder Kristie Raymond is partnering with True Story Theater, a local nonprofit that performs improv based on real-life stories. Cecelia Gousie, an 8-year-old girl with Down syndrome, along with her mother, Derrah Gousie, will talk about her experiences in the world of art and fashion, with the improv group then acting out her emotions on stage.

“Whatever industry you are in, my hope is that you will be triggered to think about what actions you can take to encourage inclusivity in your own life,” Raymond said.

The end of the week offers storytelling with GlamSlam and The Narrative. GlamSlam is a returning event where six fashion professionals, including Raymond, will talk about their work and the people behind the fashion.

“It’s so moving, and sometimes it’s hilarious,” Calderín said. “It just feels so amazing to connect with people on a human level.”

The Narrative is an event run by the newly launched Heart & Soul Studios, created by Hannah Richards and Becca Parker. The two designers started the organization to offer a creative community to young professionals.

Set at Studio’s 125 High St. location, an intimate setting complete with lounge seating and a runway, the show will bring together eight local designers — including Richards’s brand H.E.R. Fashion and Parker’s brand Obscur — to talk about their designs and processes.

“Now in the age of fast fashion,” said Richards, “I don’t think people understand how much goes into clothing design, especially as small businesses or small designers.”

Other events include Boston En Vogue’s Classical Luxury Runway Show, Femme Fatale Boston III, a School of Fashion Design info session and tour, and multiple events for Caribbean Fashion Week to celebrate culture and innovation. A full list of events can be found at bostonfashionweek.com.

To those interested in attending BFW who might be on the fence, Richards says just show up with an open mind.

“Some people feel like they don’t belong at a fashion show,” echoed Raymond. “But of course you belong at a fashion show. You get dressed every day.”

BOSTON FASHION WEEK

Oct. 13-19, bostonfashionweek.com

Shanna Kelly can be reached at shanna.kelly@globe.com.Follow her @shannakelly_19.