A banging catwalk show, an inspiring shoe exhibition, a nostalgic pop-up museum, and the finale of the Bata Young Designers’ Challenge—the Bata Fashion Weekend 2019 at the historic Zofin Palace in Prague, Czech Republic, was one for the books.

The shoe spectacular took place on April 13-14, as we celebrated our 125th anniversary and showcased our latest ranges, new collections and world premieres. The audience in Prague, and the millions of viewers who watched the show via live stream on your YouTube channel and on the Facebook page of Bata Bangladesh as well, could get a glimpse into Bata’s past, present and future. 

The historical background of the palace combined with the minimalistic stage and energetic beats from the DJ built the perfect backdrop to showcase the 2019 collections—and the 125 years of talent, innovation and inspiration that built the global brand.

During the fashion show, all eyes were on our models, as they showcased the trends and designs that will be seen around the world, including our premium Italian Collection, designed and produced in Italy using the finest quality leathers and the Italian flair for fashion design. Premiering this year was the new Chinese Collection, a range using classic Bata designs but with a fresh twist and contrasting, vibrant colors.

Also, on show was the new Asia Pacific Collection, beautiful and bang on-trend with its use of animal and floral prints.
Our Red Label impressed again with its latest design cues, while our Bata Heritage range took a walk down memory lane and features retro kicks with a contemporary spin—our 125th Anniversary Edition, an elegant capsule collection, will be in shops in October 2019. The audience was also treated to a sneak(er) peek of the latest models from Power, including the Power Mello, with its marshmallow-like sole.

The Fashion Weekend was not just about design and aesthetics but also emphasized the importance of technology to make shoes more comfortable and more functional. The technologies on display in Prague were Bata Flexible (smart-casual, featuring ultra-flexible outsoles, assuring greater flexibility and giving a more comfortable walk), Bata Light (light as a feather, trendy, informal and with built-in shock absorption and unbeatable comfort), and Bata Insolia (a dressy and chic range which improves posture, balance and extends wear-time for medium to high heels).

After the catwalk show, the audience could get up close and personal with the designs that had wowed them from the stage: We showcased all shoes on a catwalk in an exhibition that was accompanied by a pop-up museum that displayed items, vintage shoes and movies from Bata’s 125-year history.

The Fashion Weekend also featured the finale of the annual Bata Young Designers’ Challenge —stay tuned for our upcoming article on winners and their designs. 

If you missed the event live, you can catch the recorded live stream on the Facebook page of Bata Bangladesh.