SYDNEY: Late-running catwalk shows dampened an otherwise buoyant post-GFC mood at the 15th installment of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW), according to industry players.
Bessie Head buyer Natalie Denning said delays presented a “huge problem” for buyers. “This interrupts our buying appointments and makes it quite impossible to support some of our suppliers,” the Queenslander said.
Similarly, sales agent Carla Robinson of Nick Mascitelli Imports, who was exhibiting in The MCA Showrooms, said disrupted time control affected buyer appointment schedules. The company distributes fashion-forward brands such as Iro, Beau Coops and twenty8twelve by S. Miller.
“Internationally, the shows start on time – they are usually no more than 10 to 15 minutes late,”
Robinson said.
New Zealand designer Annah Stretton was forced to issue an urgent email to apologise for the significant delay to the start of her Friday show.
“Although we were ready to go on at 3pm, there was a 90-minute delay for the start which, while it was completely out of our control, we would like to apologise for,” she said in the email.
“Two shows before us ran well behind on their timing, pushing us to a 4.45pm [sic] start time.”
IMG Fashion International general manager Daniel Hill said there were “some isolated instances of meeting plans moving due to shows running late”.
“However, broadly speaking, designers tend to plan for this given the nature of ‘live performance’ that
fashion shows are.”
Hill said participation in RAFW was up on 2009, reflecting better economic optimism. He reported a 42 per cent increase in individual designer shows, a 17 per cent increase in ready-to-wear group show participants and a 135 per cent increase in swim group show participants. There was also a 135 per cent increase in showroom participants.
In The MCA Showrooms, designer Kylie Hawkes said she chose the one-on-one format as she was focused on sales this season, but said in the future she may opt for the exposure of a group catwalk show.
“We are tucked away [upstairs of the MCA] and difficult to find,” she said.
Fellow exhibitor Dianne Varanao, sales manager for Pizzuto, said buyers and agents from Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand and the US had visited the space.
In the Emerge precinct, Urban Originals account manager Rosie Cicchitti said the foot traffic had been strong pre- and post-shows. She said the concept could benefit from a few big-name exhibitors.
Swimwear designer Lisa Blue said her Emerge stand had been beneficial.“I have had interest from stockists in Dubai, France, South America,” she said.
RAFW ran from May 3 to 7 in Sydney, organised by IMG Fashion Australia.
Melinda Oliver