Fashion Exposed will introduce a slate of new initiatives for buyers at the upcoming Melbourne fair. Erin O’Loughlin gets the scoop.
The times, they are a-changing, and the organisers of trade fair Fashion Exposed know it.
The staff at Australian Exhibitions and Conferences (AEC), who coordinate the biannual fair, hit the phones in early 2010 to work out what they needed to modify about the show to keep pace with a multitude of industry changes, everything from the progression of e-tailing to the lingering effects of the financial crisis. AEC exhibition manager Elissa Duke was in the midst of the hubbub.
“We have a huge database, absolutely huge,” Duke said. “We had a team of people that called some of those buyers and independent retailers to get direct feedback on how they feel about the show, what they’re looking for when they come, and the outcomes of the event.”
Buyers made their voices loud and clear. They wanted more tips on trends and directions for the forthcoming season so they could be confident in placing indent orders. They wanted more insight into new happenings within the industry so they could learn from their contemporaries. They were keen to be see more special deals on offer at the show and they were curious about who exactly was putting the whole gig together.
Come Sunday August 29, when Fashion Exposed opens in Melbourne, those desires will be translated into concrete changes.
AEC will wheel out the big guns on the Sunday morning, with established UK trend forecasting Mudpie set to deliver ‘The First Day Forecast’. Kicking off at 9.30am – before Fashion Exposed opens at 10am – the international agency will present on the trends buyers need to know in the sectors of menswear, womenswear and childrenswear.
Victorian buyer Ellen Kopp thinks it’s a welcome development.
“During this continuing tough economic climate, I think it’s really great to have the opportunity to refresh and re-energise my thinking at the wide range of workshops and seminars [Fashion Exposed] has on offer. I think it’s more important than ever to re-look at how we can work better at our businesses.”
For the Monday afternoon of the fair, AEC will call on the services of former Artichoke magazine editor and now State of Design Festival team member, Kate Rhodes.
Rhodes will conduct a retail tour that will lead interested Fashion Exposed visitors through 25 of Melbourne’s “inspiration retail spaces”. Stores participating in the initiative include Leopold’s Empire, ‘slow fashion’ retailer Swensk, Australian design specialist Alice Euphemia and independent accessories and jewellery store Glitzern.
Helen Davison, owner of Racey’s boutique and Fashion Exposed regular, thinks more practical initiatives such as these are needed.
“I think it’s good to actually physically see things,” Davison said. “You can see things written down on paper but it doesn’t always sink in. I think when you visually see something you can adapt it to suit yourself. It also sparks off new ideas in your head.”
Kopp is wary she may not have time to fit in the excursion. “Normally the three days at the fair is full on – we’re there to buy,” she said.
“I think if it was a mid-afternoon opportunity so we had the bulk of the day to be buying, it would be wonderful. It would bring fresh perspective for retailers.”
AEC will also use the August fair to launch the Fashion Exposed VIP Club. The program allows loyal fair attendees access to a dedicated website featuring online specials and facilitates buying at times that fall between the February and August fairs. AEC’s Duke says the web portal will enhance buyers’ show experience rather than replace it.
“The website is about adding value and extra benefits for buyers and its main focus is about specials,” she said. “To buy main lines and see new labels and new ranges they will still have to visit the fair.”
Other measures to be rolled out at the exhibition are paid seminars covering ‘Selling to the consumer who hates to shop’, ‘Men: the new frontier of fashion’ and ‘Being a more sustainable retailer’.
Also on the cards is the first ever Fashion Exposed Magazine. Compiled by AEC to provide a complete round up of information on the fair and the industry at large, it will land in registered buyers’ mail boxes in early August.
Duke confirmed all changes will be subject to a review process after the Melbourne fair wraps in September.