Dreaming of attending Fashion Week events someday? Here's how much it costs

Want to experience the glamour of fashion events abroad? One thing’s for sure: You gotta splurge millions in order to be a part of it.

Fashion Week is often graced by big names in the entertainment industry—from fashion designers to influencers and celebrities like K-pop artists NCT’s Jaehyun and aespa’s Karina who recently attended the Milan Fashion Week. 

Filipino stars are also making a mark in the international fashion scene. Heart Evangelista, for one, has been a regular at such events for the past years. Other Pinoys who have been spotted in Fashion Week shows in the past include Pia Wurtzbach, Anne Curtis, Liza Soberano, Nadine Lustre, Kylie Verzosa, and Michelle Dee. 

Curious as to how much it costs to make it there? Fashion writer Ingrid Chua, who is known as the "Bag Hag" online, shared a rough estimate of the necessary expenses—from airfare and food to a full glam team. 

Chua is no stranger to Fashion Week events as she has attended shows in Paris and Milan in the past decade.

In a post on Threads, the style blogger pointed out that unless you’re an A-lister who gets paid for your appearance, attending such shows would be very costly. 

Using Paris Fashion Week as an example, she said a business class flight to Paris would cost around $3,000 (almost P170,000), plus economy flights for your team—one hair and makeup artist, one photographer or personal assistant, and one stylist—which will cost around $1,500 (over P80,000) each, bringing it to a total of P240,000 on airfare alone. Note that this would still depend on your chosen airline.

After landing in Paris, Chua said you would need a personal driver and van for a week which would cost $880 (P49,000) per day for 10 hours. She further noted in a TikTok video that taking taxis would not be “nearly impossible” if you're planning to change your looks for every show. 

@thebaghag So you want to attend Paris fashion week as an influencer/content creator? Now being flown in for a show by a brand is different -- the brand will shoulder your flight and accommodations, but you'll still have to fly in your team (assuming you work with one), plus you are beholden to the brand (can't attend other brand events) and they will only sponsor perhaps 2-3 nights (max) accommodation. If you plan to stay longer, it'll be out of pocket from you. And in today's highly competitive social media landscape, unless you are a Kpop celeb, a world-renowned cross-cultural content creator, a Hollywood celeb/nepo baby or a public figure officially contracted by brands as their ambassador, the chances of you making serious money by just attending shows/ being photographed in the brands' merchandise is slim to none -- for sure it won't be enough to cover your expenses. Sharing with you a conservative breakdown of cost if you are planning on attending fashion week in Paris with a team. This is only a ballpark reference but at least you get an idea of what your potential expenses would be 💖 Enjoy!! #fashionweek #paris #pfw #contentcreator #content #influencer #money ♬ original sound - The Bag Hag

Your accommodation would also be at the top of the list, she stressed. For example, two rooms in a decent hotel in the city center would cost a minimum of $450 (P25,000) per day for seven days.  

Team meals, meanwhile, would cost around $60 (over P3,300) per day for three people, totaling about $1,260 (P70,000) for one week.

There are also miscellaneous expenses like overtime, additional meals, team allowances, and even shopping budget that you might need to cover for all. According to Chua, the average minimum cost of attending a fashion week would be around more or less $25,000 or P1.5 million. 

She noted, however, that the fashion landscape and its system have changed ever since she retired from attending shows.  

The breakdown still does not include the salary of your team. Per Chua, the average minimum wage in France is about $14 (P779) per hour, so each member would have to be paid around $140 (P7,700) for working for 10 hours. This could, however, still go higher as it would depend on their expertise.

Assuming that each has to receive $5,000 (P278,000) for one week, it would cost you an additional $15,000 (over P800,000) for one Fashion Week season. All in all, a very “conservative” estimated cost of attending shows could go up to $50,000 or P2.7 million, just for one week in the city. 

Chua noted that some brands may pay you to attend their shows and be part of their social media content. "You may be given an honorarium of between $1,000 (P55,000) to $3,000 (P166,000)," she tweeted, adding that you could get more if you’re able to secure paid partnerships with brands for socials.

“So unless you have a lot of cash to burn, or think of these expenses as ‘investments’ into your own image which you can hopefully later monetize elsewhere or if you're real lucky, within the [international] fashion industry (like be asked to become the face of a brand),” Chua said, “it's VERY COSTLY to attend shows during Fashion Week if you want the whole shebang (photog, HMU, stylist, PA). The money you earn directly from attending these shows will be SMALL (if you are even paid) compared to your out-of-pocket.” 

Chua also added that having your photos taken by photographers mostly equates to free publicity, so it’s better if you know how to build your portfolio and know your way through monetizing the experience outside the fashion industry. Another perk you may score is getting paid for ads due to your Fashion Week exposure.