NATIONAL: Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organisers have proven that when times get tough, the tough double their marketing.
Despite fears the global financial crisis would limit the number of international delegates attending the spring/summer 2009/10 showcase, over 134 representatives across 92 organisations had already been confirmed at the time of press.
This was expected to grow to over 100 organisations in the lead up to the trade event, scheduled to kick off next week from April 27 to May 1 at Sydney's Circular Quay precinct.
Speculation over visitor numbers this year was compounded when travel provider Thai Airways International failed to resign as a chief sponsor. The company had provided "significant" packages for key buyers across the globe during RAFW spring/summer 2008.
It was understood IMG Fashion Asia Pacific brokered a deal with Virgin Australia at the eleventh hour, with the airline company now sponsoring flights from Australia and Los Angeles. Internal marketing spend had also been increased to accommodate major buyers outside the American market.
IMG Asia Pacific international marketing manager Jodi Pritchard said online campaigns through newsletters, email notifications and via RAFW's official website had been integral in attracting traffic from the northern hemisphere.
"It's a 12-month process but after the international shows wind up in March, we really start to lock in the serious buyers. It has been a tough year, but the Australian dollar really worked to our advantage, especially with American visitors. This time last year, buyer budgets were stretched when we were pretty much dollar-on-dollar with America."
High-profile international delegates included retailers Fred Segal, American Rag Cie USA, Urban Outfitters UK and Lambert & Associates, a luxury consultancy that sourced products across Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Lane Crawford. Online retail giant asos.com was also confirmed to attend for the first time.
On the digital media front, a new public relations marketing campaign launched by Tourism Australia had bolstered delegate numbers from the US and Europe. The 'Visiting Opinion Leaders Program', launched just this year, was aimed at growing exposure through online avenues such as blogging sites. Influential American fashion blogger Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist) and German-based Julia Knolle were now locked in for the 2009 RAFW circuit.
Regionally, IMG Fashion Asia Pacific said business development programs had resulted in strong interest from markets such as Singapore and China. Recently launched events such as Mastercard Luxury Week Hong Kong and Australian Swim Fashion Week meant the firm was in constant contact with leading department stores and multi-brand boutiques.
In addition to this, the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) had employed its own network of offices across South and North East Asia to attract new and existing buyers. These included department store CK Tangs and fresh players Pleine (Singapore), Button and Button (Indonesia) and Asian online fashion store High Maintenance/ Intelligent Movement.
Chief economist Tim Harcourt said a joint venture between Austrade Jakarta and fashion publication Harper's Bazaar Indonesia resulted in early sales for designers. An Australian fashion supplement which ran in its Christmas 2008 edition saw six Jakarta-based buyers place over 50 orders with featured brands. This momentum had run on to RAFW registrations, with global financial turmoil resulting in only a small dip in numbers.
"We are seeing the return of buyers from South East and North East Asia and New Zealand along with a few new ones from Singapore, Indonesia and Dubai," Harcourt said. "Demand is down. . . but Australian fashion is respected for its versatility, even in a downturn.
"Also, because of the economic environment, the buyers coming are fair dinkum fashion buyers, not frock teasers."
Over 110 individual designers across collection shows, exhibition spaces and showrooms were expected to preview their spring/summer ranges next week. These included Camilla & Marc, Kirrily Johnston, Jayson Brunsdon, Lisa Ho, Nicola Finetti, Marnie Skillings, sass & bide and Ginger & Smart along with new generation labels Dion Lee, Ellery, Michael Lo Sordo and Therese Rawsthorne.