Briefs
PERTH: Perth Fashion Festival (PFF) organisers are on the hunt for Australian jewellery and accessory designers and artists from Perth keen to take part in a new initiative. The scheme, dubbed Sunday Best by Unwrapped, will launch as a Sunday showcase where “uber-cool” products including unique fashion, jewellery, accessories, illustration and original art from some of Western Australia’s best emerging design talent will be displayed during the September 4 to 10 event. Applications close July 31.
Calling Aus home
NATIONAL: Kiwi womenswear brand Takaaki Sakaguchi has celebrated its 10th year of operation by boosting its Australian wholesale base and moving its onshore manufacturing plant. The Auckland-based brand, which includes the Sakaguchi and Geisha labels, has announced plans to move its base from its home town of Auckland to Christchurch to help show support for the South Island manufacturing hub. The announcement follows the news the brand’s Geisha label has picked up a host of new retail accounts with boutiques in Noosa, the Gold Coast, Mudgee and Newcastle now stocking the label.
Jean Brown expands
BRISBANE: Luxury concept store Jean Brown is branching out. The multi-brand store, run by Brisbane husband-and-wife team Amber and Matthew Long, will next week open a city store in Brisbane’s Tattersalls Arcade. The store will sit alongside two others – Jean Brown Gallery and The Tribune Brisbane – in the group’s portfolio. Local labels stocked by the brand include Yeojin Bae, Kirrily Johnston, Mrs Press and Willow while the international line-up includes Chloe, Miu Miu, Lanvin, Sergio Rossi and Marc Jacobs. The Jean Brown city store will open July 24. For more: jeanbrown.com.au
Free symposium
SYDNEY: Free instruction on best practice designing will be on offer during a symposium at Sydney’s University of Technology (UTS) later this month. The event, on July 28, features speakers from the fashion industry and academia, with a keynote lecture from sustainable fashion expert Dr Kate Fletcher. The evening will be complemented by the launch of the Fashioning Now exhibition which aims to highlight the diversity of sustainable solutions. For more: 02 9514 8709.