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Before Downtown Calgary Fashion Week began last Tuesday, the question on many minds was whether Calgary was actually ready for a fashion week of its own.

Well, now the week is over and that's still the question on many minds.

On the one hand, the week proved without a doubt that Calgary has both a sophisticated fashion consumer base and a talented, though small, fashion industry.

On the other hand, there were a few issues that the organizers will have to examine closely before holding the event again next year as they plan to do. After all, you'd expect that things wouldn't be perfect the first time out, and they weren't.

For one thing, communication was an problem throughout the week. Information about events and participants was at times wrong, incomplete or changed at the last minute.

That's the sort of thing you expect will improve second time out.

More troubling is the fact the week didn't really emphasize our local designers, which is what fashion weeks normally do.

Frankly, Calgary doesn't have enough designers to merit a whole week, so it made sense to the organizers to have an event that was mostly about retail. It didn't make so much sense to some local designers and fashion observers, though.

Only a handful of the city's designers participated in the one event showcasing local work, Friday night's Designer Gala.

Some didn't show because they weren't invited; others chose not to attend because the event didn't fit with their vision of what a local fashion week should be.

But that doesn't mean the week wasn't a success, because it was.

First of all, the fashion shows, produced by mode models, were without exception beautifully executed.

From the models to the hair, makeup and fashion styling, it was all done with sophistication and finesse. Even the noon-hour mall shows were better produced than many of the runway shows you see at, say, L'Oreal Fashion Week in Toronto.

Here are some of the week's highlights:

- La Chic. It was great to see the boutique, which has just migrated to Bankers Hall, establish such a strong presence at fashion week. La Chic held daily trunk shows and participated in both the Bankers Hall show and the Designer Gala. We hope other retailers will step up with a similar program next year.

- The downtown menswear retailers. Harry Rosen, Henry Singer, Grafton and Thomas Jeffrey all showed in the Designer Gala; in addition, Harry Rosen held its own show and Henry Singer played a big role in the Bankers Hall show.

- The Holt's show. We loved the quirky and clever Burberry fashion show celebrating the British clothier's 150th anniversary as well as fashion week and Holt Renfrew Private Shopping Night. We especially loved the Alexander McQueen-esque feather headpieces that illustrated how far Burberry has come from its dull, Sloane Ranger-y past.

- The Designer Gala. This was by far the week's highlight. More than 150 outfits went down the runway at the Hotel Arts, most of them from downtown retailers. A dozen sets were by local designers, and those were the ones that had the freshness, originality and creativity that you crave from fashion. Some, however, really stood out as excellent examples of what local talent can do.

Paul Hardy's updated Victoriana with silver brocade was the work of a designer who's hitting his stride as an international talent.

Shae Barry's chunky, tweedy knit shrugs and cardigans for his D.I.C.I.B.? label were the must-have items of the show.

Kendall Yellowhorn's leather and denim pieces for men were innovative and stylish, yet wonderfully wearable.

Janet Lapuz's bright neon pieces and eye-catching striped tights injected the evening with youthful vitality.

Lapuz also won the designer raffle at the end of the evening, so she will be showing her collection at L'Oreal Fashion Week next month.

(Originally, the audience was going to vote on its favourite designer, and the winner would get airfare to and accommodation in Toronto, as well as a spot in L'Oreal Fashion Week. At the last minute, the process was changed to avoid offending anyone, and the winner's name was instead drawn from a hat.)

We also loved Jodi Opsahl's sexy beach wear (for Jodio), Leah Bonnet's great jersey pieces (for Broken Doll Clothing) and Shisomiso's luscious fabrications by Victoria Lee and Irene Rasetti.

But the high point of the evening was Evalina Schmidtke's breathtaking bridal wear, which closed the show. The evening's showstopper was an Evalina Couture gown -- a black satin sheath with lace and jewelled details that drew more than one sigh of envy -- worn by Johanna Stickland, the latest rising star from the mode models stable.

If nothing else, the evening proved that Calgary has a number of talented designers with the ability to work on an international scale.

Now all they need is the opportunity and the infrastructure to make it happen. That's where Downtown Calgary Fashion Week should come in.

So. Is Calgary ready for a fashion week of its own?

With a few changes -- better communication, more emphasis on local talent, perhaps a fashion incubator type of setup -- the answer, surprisingly, might just be yes.