Düsseldorf Airport Converts Concourse into Fashion Runway

To encourage German consumers to think of their local airport as not just a hub for travel, but as a destination in and of itself, the Düsseldorf International Airport will on Oct. 7 turn its check-in area into FashionAirport—a fashion show activation complete with a 164-foot long catwalk, runway and models. The airport is hoping to encourage people to visit the shops and restaurants, even when they aren't traveling that day.

Throughout the activation area, there will be fashion shows, makeover desks, presentations and consultations by major fashion labels. There will be a sweepstakes for a full model experience, including a makeover, photo shoot and catwalk lessons, for 16 attendees. All of the clothes and other door prizes will be supplied by the airport’s shops and partners. The fashion conversion is part of the Düsseldorf Airport’s Airlebnis series of events, which turns the concourse into a public event space the first Sunday of each month. Like all events in the series, FashionAirport includes a supplementary program with special lotteries, free airport tours and kids’ entertainment.

“We want to make the airport a place to be. To give it some excitement,” André Barczewski, manager of event marketing at Düsseldorf International Airport, told Buzz. “We want to get more visitors to the airport, in the shopping mall, as a place to visit, and not just as a place to travel from.”