MMSFW a springboard for labels

MELBOURNE: This year's spring Fashion Week is being trumpeted as the biggest yet, with fashion labels of all stripes hoping to cash in on the buzz.
Motorola Melbourne Spring Fashion Week (MMSFW) - scheduled from September 4 to 10 - will feature a host of fashion parades at the centrally-located town hall as well as more than 100 supporting events dotted in and around the Victorian capital.
Councillor Fiona Snedden, chairperson, business and international relations for Melbourne City Council, said because the event had grown quite substantially in recent years, organisers were expecting more attendees than ever before.
"With the partnership of fashion and art as its focus, this year's event will have a strongly independent designer focus, showing the best talent that Melbourne has to offer."
While MMSFW was a primarily a consumer and retail event, the benefits for participating labels were self-evident, she added.
"It's a great opportunity for labels to show product that consumers can then go out and buy immediately."
First time MMSFW participant Melbourne womenswear label Gorman hoped to leverage the exposure to drive sales in two recently opened stores in Fitzroy and niche shopping precinct GPO.
"It's a great retail-based event and the perfect opportunity to showcase our spring summer collections to the general public. The timing is perfect because it's all about spring, with the spring racing carnival coming up," a Gorman spokesperson said.
Sydney label Nicola Finetti's PR and sales manager Magdalena Ivanovska claimed MMSFW was the best medium for creating an "instantaneous buzz" around the brand.
"We've been in MMSFW for many seasons and it's been great for the brand in terms of public recognition. People come and see the show and there's always increased traffic in store afterwards, particularly now we have a Melbourne outlet."
The event was also a boon nationally, as shoppers in other cities could see the MMSFW show on the festival website, Ivanovska said.
"Because we don't produce the show ourselves and it's put together by stylists. It's also an opportunity to have the clothes styled a bit differently and see them in a fresh light."
MMSFW's evening parades will hit the runways on Monday September 4 with a Dress Code-themed parade featuring Anna Thomas, Aurelio Costarella, Caravana, Jayson Brunsdon and Nicola Finetti.
The September 5 parade, dubbed Future Project, will include Alpha 60, Arabella Ramsay, Gorman, Kirrily Johnston, Mad Cortes and Obus, while on the following day Ess.Hoshika, Gwendolynne, Manvious, Out with Demons, Richard Nylon, T.V. and Vixen will take part in The Gallery parade.
Rounding off the catwalk shows the September 7 parade - titled Blue Room - will showcase Bettina Liano, Bowie, Flux, Leopold, Morrissey, Roger Grinstead and White Suede.
Snedden said the event always prompted some intersting debate.
"Clearly the central highlight of MMSFW will be the evening parades but there will be many other events including fashion walks around the city. [Then there is the argument] 'is Melbourne more fashion than football?'"