Aotearoa awakenings

It is the event credited with fast-tracking the offshore success of many a Kiwi designer. But what do Australians really feel about New Zealand Fashion Week? Tracey McEldowney reports from Auckland.

When Sydney-based Kiwi designer Virginia Poppe headed home for her first showing at Air New New Zealand Fashion Week (ANZFW), she had but one request. Models with "boobies". And lots of 'em. A necessary tool used to show off her camisole and undergarment lines for her label Silk Attraction to best effect, Poppe was disappointed to discover that no model assigned to participate in her show was larger than an "A" or "B" cup. But while this meant she was forced to hastily rearrange most of her collection at the eleventh hour - ditching key pieces in favour of garments better suited to her flat-chested models - she was prepared to take the minor mishap on the chin. Such was her excitement at being selected to appear alongside international contemporaries such as Kate Sylvester, Trelise Cooper and Karen Walker in this year's line-up.
While the $50,000 she estimates it cost her to feature at the event, Poppe says it was money well spent.
"Aside from anything else, it was a great public relations exercise. We got exposure in [New Zealand newspapers] The New Zealand Herald, The Sunday-Star Times and across radio as well. From a branding perspective it was fantastic."
It seems her excitement at appearing at the event may have been more than a little contagious.
Celebrating its fifth birthday this year, many are proclaiming the 2005 ANZFW instalment, staged for the second year in a row at Auckland's Viaduct Harbour, as the best yet.
ANZFW managing director Pieter Stewart says the response from visiting buyers, media and guests was proof of the depth of talent coming through.
"Our focus is on getting better, not bigger so it's also great to hear our international guests say we are operating to an international standard."
Figures being bandied around by organisers suggest the 46 labels showing and 54 businesses showcased in the exhibition were seen by around 14,000 visitors - including 700 buyers and media from 14 different countries - over the five-day duration of the event. Testament to its growing popularity, this is a significant improvement on the 160 buyers from five countries who attended the inaugural NZ fashion week in 2000.
Buyers, exhibitors and media from key foreign markets also made their presence felt with Mashiro Tsunokawa from Beams in Japan, Australian ex-pat Elizabeth Charles from Elizabeth Charles in New York and ex-pat Australian colleague, Geoffrey Finch from London's Antipodium, joining other big names from Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore in making the journey down under.
As per usual, however, it was the Australian buyers who dominated the overseas buying contingency with around 40 buyers from more than 25 stores making the trek across the Tasman Sea for the annual offering (this year staged from October 17 to 21). These included Greg and Heather Chippendale of Flash Boutique in Brisbane, stalwart Joanne Meisner from Directions in Sydney, Ondina Gregoric of Ondina Studio in Canberra and Nanette Carnachan of Perth-based Mid 70's Concept Boutiques. While three Myer representatives had registered for the event, none actually made the flight, with commitments to Mercedes Australian Fashion Week, which began the week after ANZFW, cited as the reason for their non-attendance.

Aussie designs
Accounting for more than 71 per cent of New Zealand designers' $317 million in annual export earnings, Australia's close geographical proximity, together with its favourable exchange rates and favourable duty and freight costs means it remains the New Zealand fashion industry's key foreign market.
If initial indications of Aussie buyers' interest in the New Zealanders' Autumn/Winter 2005 collections are any indication, this is unlikely to change in the near future.
Kate Sylvester, who has been part of New Zealand Fashion Week since its inception but is also a permanent fixture at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week (MAFW) in Sydney, says the Aussie market now accounts for about half of the label's annual turnover.
Sylvester's self-titled label, which has had a strong Australian presence for several years, secured deals with at least four new Australian retailers during ANZFW, including Melbourne's Crimson Phoenix and Myhrr, and Directions in Sydney.
The news comes on top of a successful selling trip to Australia earlier this year where the label also secured "several" new accounts, resulting in it now boasting a list of more than 20 Australian stockists. Sylvester says she was impressed by the line-up of designers and hopes this will ensure the Australian delegate list will continue to grow, in turn helping to drive her Australian sales.
"We always receive a great response from both [Australian] media and buyers. [We now want to] consolidate our existing business. It's one thing to grow, it's another to ensure that growth is secure and sustainable and that our buyers keep coming back for more."
First time participant Deborah Sweeney, whose self-titled label currently has about 15 Australian stockists and accounts for about 50 per cent of its turnover annually, attended ANZFW to help increase public awareness of the brand.
It too caught the eye of Crimson Phoenix buyer Natasha Iskandar, while also Reluctant to divulge details about the value of the business done at ANZFW, Deborah Sweeney says that while it exceeded expectations, she was disappointed there wasn't more divergence among the Australian and New Zealand buyers present at the show.
"Other stores that were present unfortunately are right alongside other Australian stores I currently sell to so they were unable to buy - ie [Melbourne-based boutique] Blondies were interested, but are too close to [fellow Melbourne boutique] Husk."
Niche label businesswear/eveningwear label Barbara Lee, which has been at the forefront of New Zealand's fashion industry since designer Barbara Lee opened her signature store in Christchurch in 1978, showed at ANZFW to help build up the wholesale side of her business.
Supported by her new Australian agent, former retailer Ronda Martinez, Barbara Lee's impressive catwalk offering helped land her three new accounts in Australia, namely Tuscany in Adelaide, Odina in Canberra and Madelines in Victoria. Lee, whose label is aimed at "discerning women who look for quality and clever design that accentuates their positive attributes", says three other Australian stores viewed the range and indicated interest but at the time of press had yet to confirm their orders. Again, reluctant to confirm the value of the new business, Lee says all her existing customers also placed "good orders".
Lee, who has already confirmed she will be showing at ANZFW 2006, says that while it is a significant investment to show at ANZFW, she believes it offers a great return on investment.
"Each year the event gets more sophisticated and the operational side improves. It is a great vehicle for showing a range not only to media and buyers, but to the public who RJC founder Claire Kangan-Jones, whose brand boasts three labels - Kingan-Jones, RJC and Edge, was also celebrating its fifth showing at the event.
The brand, which has 35 accounts in Australia and 40 in New Zealand, secured an order from Sydney-based retailer Von Troska together with New Zealand-based retailers Quins and Meyer and Pritchard.
RJC, which already counts Sydney-based retailer Lillies, Perth-based Moore and Melbourne-based Blondies among its Australian client list renewed all its existing accounts and credits its decision to take a designer showroom in the exhibition space with helping to convert enquiries into orders.
Another exhibitor impressing the Australian buying contingent was Hart Manufacturing, which operates the VSSP, Vertice and Vamp labels.
Despite being New Zealand-based, the brand already distributes to approximately 300 retailers, 180 of those being in Australia, accounting for 55 per cent of the group's annual turnover.
Design & marketing manager Susie Walker says the brand's participation at fashion week is not about attracting new business but about supporting its existing business. She claims the brand's greatest growth is out of its newest markets in Western Australia and South Australia.
Walker says all up the brand had about 10 new enquiries result from this year's show, but insists it will look at opening only one new account.
"We are incredibly protective of our existing account base and have pretty well covered most retail areas. We never like to close a door through this event we have formed good relationships with some retailers we are currently not even supplying to, which is probably a bit strange. Our existing stockists are fiercely loyal to the brand though and we likewise endeavour to keep the distribution under control to avoid overexposing the brands in every corner store. There is nothing to be gained by over-saturating the marketplace because we get a lot of enquiries."

An eye on the buy
Australian buyers spoken to by Ragtrader unanimously agreed ANZFW 2005 was the best event to date. While some argued the "buzz" and "hype" evident in previous years was lacking in this incarnation, others felt shows such as the Westfield Pasifika Group show and the AUT Rookie Show, both of which incorporated a large Polynesian component, more than made up for it.
Having learnt early on the importance of affording international delegates the time and space to peruse the exhibitors and shows at their leisure, VIP guests were this year offered the use of volunteer "minders" to assist them with scheduling appointments and day to day logistics. As in other years guests were also offered the use of chauffer-driven BMWs to escort them between venues. Both of which were clearly appreciated by the Australian buying group.
Lizzie Carter-Gapes of Lizzies of Port Fairy said having access to a minder took away a lot of the stress normally associated with such an event.
Carter-Gapes, whose Victorian top-end store stocks 31 labels from New Zealand, says like most buyers she was affected by tough winter trade and had to tighten her spending ahead of this year's ANZFW event.
Despite this, she Carter-Gapes says the best thing about ANZFW is its consistency.
"It's always great sourcing. Another benefit for me is that I meet so many people and able to feed off their ideas as to what a particular label is like to do with business with, whether they meet their delivery times etc etc. I just don't have much of an opportunity to do that anywhere else."
Sydney-based Next Attraction buyer Pamela Hardy, whose boutique targets clients aged between 30 and 60, says she enjoys making the pilgrimage to New Zealand Fashion Week to keep up to date with what's on offer.
"I like to come here because good fashion comes out of New Zealand and Australian women are interested in New Zealand fashion."
While offering a great networking opportunity, Hardy says the best thing about ANZFW is its accessibility.
"This hasn't changed from year to year. It offers such a great opportunity to see the ranges at the catwalk shows and then get in behind the scenes, talk to the designer and do business."
Hardy, whose stock is at least 10 per cent Kiwi designed, says she had already done a lot of her buying for the season prior to arriving in New Zealand because ANZFW is staged "so late in the season".
Like many in the retail sector, Hardy says a tough winter last year means buyers are a lot more risk adverse than in previous years and are being much more cautious with their spend.
Hardy, says her main target at the event was Annah Stretton and she was particularly impressed by the Maori influence incorporated into her show. While extremely impressed with the energy and buzz surrounding the Westfield Style Pasifika group show, which she rated her favourite behind Stretton, Hardy opted against purchasing anything in the range.
"I'm a destination shop, I have to rely on my clientele and what they tell me they like."
Western Australian buyer Maria Short, who owns four More stores in and around Perth says ANZFW 2005 was a "slick" show.
"I think it has really grown up a lot. This year was definitely its best."
Short, who began stocking Trelise Cooper some years ago and now prides herself on having 80 per cent of her total stock as exclusive lines, plans to increase her Cooper range and also placed an order with RJC.
Short says there is no doubt trans-Tasman relationship is essential to both the Australian and New Zealand fashion industries.
"I think it's extremely beneficial for the two countries to work side by side - in fact I think we should be interacting a lot more."
Feedback from UK buyers was also positive.
London-based store Koh Samui buyer Paul Sexton indicated he would be buying from a number of designers he had seen during the week including Trelise Cooper, Workshop, Widdess and Cybele.
Antipodium buyer Geoffrey Finch meanwhile was particularly impressed by Hailwood, Lonely Hearts Club (who showed in the Verge Breakthrough show) and Karen Walker. Finch claims the store is currently in the process of adjusting its budgets, however judging on what he had seen at ANZFW, Antipodium was likely to increase its ratio of New Zealand stock up to 40 per cent, more in line with its Australian offerings.