Debut emerging as lucky break

MELBOURNE: The heat is on Debut participants to put the finishing touches to their autumn/winter collections before trade fair Fashion Exposed opens its doors in September.
Christened at Sydney Fashion Exposed earlier this year, Melbourne's inaugural Debut emerging designer showcase would provide standout opportunities for those labels showing from September 3 to 5, confirmed Debut curator Uli Hassel.
"New and emerging designers will have an opportunity to showcase their product to 10,000 qualified trade visitors. They'll be there to promote their label and take orders," she said.
Hassel had honed hundreds of entries to the requisite 20 labels, across the categories of apparel, accessories and avant garde, with the Melbourne Debut entrants including four Sydney Debut veterans.
They were: Melbourne womenswear label Sweezy and Sydney womenswear labels Hurska, Bird and Handmade, the last of which had been "doing incredibly well and receiving heaps of orders," since the Sydney Debut, Hassel said.
"We really want to encourage labels to show at both the Sydney and the Melbourne events so they can get all-year-round exposure."
First time womenswear labels showing at Debut would include Melbourne labels A. Freeman, Since Grey, Wise Woman Wearables and Zinnia, while
Liz Harrington - the designer of Melbourne womenswear label Empress Kiki - had yet to confirm her attendance as Ragtrader went to print.
Sydney womenswear label Yekaterina Peker was also slated to take part, with New Zealand womenswear label Everyone We Know crossing the water for its first Debut showing.
Queensland girl's label Heartacres, Victorian men's and womenswear label Limedrop and streetwear labels Halszka and TJBdesigns - from Victoria and NSW respectively - had also confirmed their attendance.
Queensland label Daniel Alexander was man enough to participate as the only pure menswear label in Debut.
Victorian labels would feature strongly in the accessories category, with children's footwear label Chookleaf, Emma Coast bags, belts and purses, jewellery by Jasmina KruThe Avant Garde section would showcase cutting edge creativity in the form of separate entries from Daniel Alexander and Yekaterina Peker, respectively comprising ribbon, wire and knitted creations and the innovative use of latex and balloons.