Enhanced Mercedes model a hit

The reworked format of Mercedes Australian Fashion Week Autumn Winter (MAFW AW) has resulted in orders for a number of designers.
Held in Melbourne from October 25 to 28 - MAFW featured revamped emerging designer forum The Source @ MAFW, which focused on jewellery, accessories, lingerie and footwear, in response to industry demand.
Damselfly media and communications manager Shay Gardner confirmed the jewellery label garnered orders from international buyers including US and Japan chain store American Rag.
She said the brand also had approaches from stores in New Zealand, Sweden, Brazil, Japan, Singapore and Romania.
"It was really great and we had enormous success with our women's label [Damselfly] and men's label Elias. The Source was a lot more streamlined this year.
"In the past we've avoided it because it used to feature around 70 or 80 designers, but this year the overall quality of the event was very high."
Bat-Ami Unger also acquired new stockists for her self-named jewellery label.
"It was really good, quite amazing actually. I got great international and national buyers from the US, Taiwan, Croatia. I don't think I would have got the international exposure without participating in The Source," she said.
Aside from The Source, the location of agent suites close the main catwalk shows was also hailed as a success.
Sydney high end women's designer Laurence Pasquier said she was "very happy", having "I really felt that I was in the middle of the action, right behind [catwalk area] The Long Room. People were dropping in without appointments and it was definitely an advantage being on site because of the exposure to international buyers as well as the media," she said.
The inaugural Asia Pacific Fashion Forum (APFF) was also praised by delegates.
APFF delegate and Polo Ralph Lauren marketing manager Anthony Whittle, was impressed by the calibre of forum speakers.
"I think it's a shame that attendance figures were not that high this year. It's definitely worth promoting it more heavily in future," he said.