Why you won’t be seeing some of your favourite labels at fashion week
Minimalism is the standout trend at this year’s Australian Fashion Week, and we’re days away from seeing a model on the official runway.
The spartan look applies to the stripped back schedule of designers participating in Australia’s premier fashion event at Sydney’s Carriageworks from May 13. Last year there were 37 solo shows on the program. This year there are 28.
Nagnata designer Laura May Gibbs with models (left to right) Hannah Alford, Amath Fall and Josafina Paddison before her intimate runway presentation before the official start of Australian Fashion Week.Credit: Janie Barrett
Like most break-ups it’s not fashion week, it’s the designers.
“Our decision not to participate in AFW this year is purely because we wanted to host a more intimate, experiential brand immersion,” says Laura May Gibbs, co-founder of Nagnata.
May jumped the AFW starter’s pistol by staging an intimate show on Wednesday evening for her sustainable, aspirational activewear brand, stocked by David Jones, Net-A-Porter and Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle company GOOP. The front row were given sketchpads to capture the collection of sophisticated knitwear on models in exaggerated dance poses at Sydney’s compact China Heights gallery.
“Our focus was to create an immersive experience for our guests where they could observe the beauty of the human form and the way movement drapes our natural fibre knitwear, as opposed to the fast-paced environment of the classic runway show.”
The Zimmermann show at Paris Fashion Week in March. Sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann’s last show at Australian Fashion Week was in 2013.Credit: Getty
Rather than going small, other Australian labels are chasing big orders at international shows. Global success story Zimmermann pony-walked away from the AFW runway in 2013, establishing a reputation at New York Fashion Week before moving to the Paris ready-to-wear shows in 2022.
Dion Lee is now a fixture at New York Fashion Week, although he changed things up with a Shanghai show in March atop China’s tallest building. Lee’s presence at AFW will be confined to a late night meal deal of martinis and ramen at fashion favourite restaurant Cho Cho San in Potts Point.
Following success in Paris, Christopher Esber was in talks to open AFW but withdrew, making way for Albus Lumen. Esber was unavailable for comment, focusing on designing his next collection.
Local luxury label Song For The Mute, which has achieved global success through collaborations with sportswear giant Adidas, has always put Paris ahead of Sydney.
“Early on we realised the importance of what showing during Paris Fashion Week could mean for Song for the Mute long-term,” says co-founder Melvin Tanaya. “That inspired us to sell our collections in Paris since 2012 and we’ve been every year since then.”
The brand will release a campaign for their first eyewear collection during AFW but will remain off-schedule.
“We show during the men’s calendar in Paris, which unfortunately for us falls just a few weeks after AFW,” he says.
Hot Queensland label Dissh, a favourite of model Emily Ratajkowski and actor Storm Reid, received a $90 million investment from retail billionaire Brett Blundy’s private investment group BBRC in March but is steering clear of spending money on local and international runways.
“We focus our energy on investing in storytelling on channels where we know our customer is active and engaged,” says Lucy Henry-Hicks, DISSH chief executive.
“Runways are high investment and high touch, and for DISSH, we find that there is better connection to our audience through more intimate in-person activations and across our digital channels.”
Fashion agent Phoebe Garland has been attending AFW for 10 years and says that economic factors are responsible for many labels taking a break from fashion week.
“In this retail climate, it’s really coming down to affordability,” Garland says. “We’re not seeing many brands there because retail is pretty bad.
“In buoyant times, more brands are willing to take the risk and go, ‘Yeah, let’s do fashion week’. Now some companies are thinking twice. I advised a label to take part, but they decided to focus on engaging a public relations company instead.”
Other countries are also feeling the pinch. On Thursday, New Zealand Fashion Week postponed their annual event to next year, and shifted to a biennial program.
“We have listened to the industry, and carefully considered and taken on board the feedback from designers around the country, who tell us they need dedicated time and space to focus on their core retail business,” says Feroz Ali, owner of NZFW.
The Zambesi show at New Zealand Fashion Week in August. This year’s event has been postponed.Credit: Getty
It’s a move that no one wants to see happen in Australia.
“Once the economy gets buoyant again, people will start spending and return to fashion week,” Garland says. “AFW is important because it keeps our industry on the international stage.”
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