Designer Johanna Johnson in her Sydney studio. Photo James Brickwood
Lisa Carapiet
Ana Maria Escobar of Oroton.
Photo Damian Bennett
Sydney will be heaving with catwalk shows and parties as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia kicks off on Monday. But distinct a augmenting series of conform festivals opposite a nation where people can buy tickets to events, MBFWA is invitation only.
Over 5 days, designers uncover their latest collections to media representatives, celebrities and all-important sell buyers, and a greeting can make or mangle them. This year also outlines Mercedes-Benz’s lapse to Fashion Week as a pretension sponsor.
“The clever couple between Mercedes-Benz and conform was instituted in Australia with a launch of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in 1995, so it’s come full circle,” says Mercedes-Benz comparison manager of corporate communications David McCarthy.
The automobile maker’s Fashion Week events have widespread around a universe to places such as New York and Berlin, and to Swim Fashion Week in Miami.
Mercedes-Benz’s sponsorship understanding was a worst-kept tip final year as Rosemount’s five-year run came to a close. The new understanding is rumoured to be valued during $1 million over 3 years though McCarthy says a sum are confidential.
MBFWA comes with a engorgement of changes, a many critical being that festival organisers IMG Fashion have reduced a cost of on-site venue fees once again.
This year, it costs $14,250 to use a newly returned Tent during a Overseas Passenger Terminal as a catwalk venue, $6000 to be a partial of Fashion Week though uncover off-site and between $3000 and $8000 to showcase collections during The Rocks Pop-Up suites.
Two of a festival’s biggest drawcards, Josh Goot and Dion Lee, pulled out a fortnight before their particular shows, proof a attribute between creativity and parsimonious scheduling is a formidable one. The designers who have depressed by a wayside in a lead-up to a five-day eventuality have presumably opted to combine on arriving abroad shows (Lee), to concentration on removing collections out to coincide with northern hemisphere seasons (Goot) or have selected to negligence Fashion Week from a get-go (Alex Perry, we’re looking during you).
For Melbourne Business School associate highbrow of selling Mark Ritson, carrying Australian designers dump out is a “tricky” scenario.
“On a one hand, we have to honour any Australian engineer focused on building their repute overseas,” he says. “We are perilously under-represented in Paris and Milan.
“But during a same time, a engineer has to be clever of blazing branding bridges behind home. That said, if Goot or Lee make it in Europe they’ll be welcomed behind home in 2013 with open arms.”
Despite a resplendence of Fashion Week, it’s a critical business. Alongside Mercedes-Benz, sponsors that have sealed on this year embody DHL, EYE, HP, Maybelline NY, Redken, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, Pentax, Keystone Hospitality and Getty Images.
The NSW government, Destination NSW and Austrade are also ancillary a event.
In addition, designers are receiving their possess sponsorships. Jayson Brunsdon’s show, for instance, is being presented by Myer and sponsored by Qantas, Woolmark, TRESemme, MAC Cosmetics and Joh Bailey.
In a bizarre turn of fate, a engineer that had a many sponsors during final year’s festival – Little Joe Woman – is now in intentional administration.
Couture engineer Johanna Johnson is a initial Australian engineer to showcase her collection during a prestigious Mercedes-Benz Presents show, that has formerly featured large conform names such as Herve Leger by Max Azria, Carolina Herrera and Badgley Mischka.
“To do [the Presents show] during a initial year behind was a priority,” McCarthy says.
Johnson recently found ubiquitous success, with Hollywood actresses Christina Hendricks and Maya Rudolph wearing her delicate creations on a red carpet.
The uncover will have a same feel – glamour, lots of hand-beading and minute finishes.
“I hadn’t unequivocally deliberate doing it and was focusing some-more on abroad enlargement this year,” Johnson says.
“But we’re carrying so most feedback from Australians wanting to know some-more now, it will be unequivocally good to showcase a oppulance lifestyle line and red runner ready-to-wear.”
She primarily sealed on to uncover in a smallest of a 3 catwalk venues, a Box, though had to pierce a uncover to a Tent (the biggest) as a series of outfits she wanted to march expanded.
“It’s a entrance uncover so we wish it finished as good as it presumably can be,” she says.
Australian accessories hulk Oroton is rising a initial ready-to-wear collection. But for artistic executive Ana Maria Escobar, a garments are there to uncover off a accessories – be they handbags, trinket or shoes.
“The biggest thing is when we walked into a stores, we saw they needed something soothing to prominence a accessories,” she says.
Customers can pattern “understated quality” from a new Oroton wardrobe range.
“To me, functionality is important,” Escobar says.
“So are a materials . . . it can be a elementary singlet though done out of unequivocally pleasing silk or customised fabrics. There’s a tinge of birthright as well.”
While Oroton views Fashion Week as important, Escobar says there is also “life over those 15 mins on a catwalk”.
For a retailer, it’s about reminding people of a brand.
“We wish to speak a small louder about a product we design,” she says. “Fashion Week gives us that space though carrying to scream.”
This year, a engorgement of abroad buyers will be in attendance, many from online retailers such as Net-A-Porter, My Wardrobe, Shopbop, Moda Operandi and ASOS. Department store Harvey Nichols and Hong Kong-based Joyce will also have buyers present.
The sell design in Australia is not all roses, and IBISWorld analysts are presaging expansion for a internal broom trade over a entrance financial year will be prosaic during only 0.5 per cent.
IBISWorld ubiquitous manager Karen Dobie says a high Australian dollar is a double-edged sword for retailers, as internal vendors can buy abroad during a enlightened rate, though increasingly tech-savvy foe is straining distinction margins.
Shows on-site during Circular Quay
41 (44 in 2011)
Shows off-site, several venues
12 (13 in 2011)
Total shows 53 (57 in 2011)
First timers
Dylan Cooper; Flowers for a Vagabond; Toi et Moi Sydney; By Johnny; Oroton; Watson x Watson; An Ode to No One; Jenny Kee; Aje; Roppa Pemmaraju; Bless’d Are The Meek and Nana Judy
No shows
Dion Lee; Josh Goot; Alex Perry; Arnsdorf; Morrison; Friend of Mine; Flannel; Karla Spetic; Lover; Therese Rawsthorne; Ms Couture; Rachel Gilbert; Little Joe Woman (voluntary administration); Nookie; Amber Thomas; Marnie Skillings; Kate Sylvester; Shakuhachi; Bianca Spender; Dhini; Camilla Marc; White Suede; Yeojin Bae; Lisa Blue; Limedrop; Stolen Girlfriends Club; Alistair Trung; Saint Augustine Academy (which close adult emporium late final year)
Welcome back
Romance Was Born; Camilla; Aurelio Costarella; Ksubi; Jayson Brunsdon; Akira
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Lisa Carapiet
Long-time Fashion Week unite Hewlett-Packard has selected this year’s eventuality to showcase a practical catwalk with practical models.
Using Kinect cameras (a motion-sensing device grown by Microsoft for Xbox 360 gaming consoles and Windows PCs) visitors will be means to select an avatar and outfits before they strut their things on a practical catwalk. HP will also use a eventuality to uncover off a new Envy14 Spectre Ultrabook.
“At HP we are always looking for new ways to rivet people with technology,” says Darren Needham-Walker, HP South-Pacific arch selling officer. “Fashion Week was a ideal event to showcase HP’s possess unusual models.” LC
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