Talk of a recession was difficult to avoid at the spring/summer 2009/10 instalment of Fashion Exposed - and even that came at a price, as Assia Benmedjdoub discovered.
You know something has entered the mainstream when it acquires its own acronym.
So much like the moment of recognition that comes with the mention of D&G, chances are people will know GRC is not the name given to a fashion label. The global financial crisis is one trend that's going the distance.
Sarah Gale had this in mind when she presented a seminar on 'Maximising sales within a recession environment' on the final day of trade fair Fashion Exposed. In addition to running an industry consultancy firm and playing judge on fashion program Project Runway, Gale boasted 25 years worth of buying experience for retailers such as Myer, Sportsgirl, Target, Portmans and Witchery.
It's little wonder paying audiences were keen for her two cents worth.
"Always conduct a post seasonal," Gale stressed more than once, pointing to her own stocktake table on a projection screen. "Look at last year's results and do a breakdown of the categories - what came through in sales? What about number of units? Where were your greatest markdowns? What were the category strengths? Was it dresses? Use this as your bible."
It seemed many already had this psalm in mind when the fair launched at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre on March 8. Although attendance figures were down 9.4 per cent on last year's instalment - mirrored by slight decline in exhibitor numbers from 531 in 2008 to 520 in 2009 - business was very much on the agenda, with buyers simply adapting their approach to the ordering process.
Jorj Republic buyer Lynne Newbury, who has worked in retail for eight years and another 14 years in wholesale, says she didn't amend her budget this year but reviewed her strategy.
"I don't normally buy basics but this year I was more conscious of buying pieces that were timeless and [transeasonal]," she explained. "I thought more about backing up my eye-catching pieces, which I use in the front window to attract customers and [provide] a quick turnover, with more basics. I don't normally buy any at all.
"If it doesn't sell this season, I can bring it to the back of the store and go again the next."
The unisex retailer has two sites in Queensland - one on the ground floor of Gold Coast's Australia Fair and another on the Stones Corner strip in Brisbane - along with a recently launched e-boutique carrying brands such as Ben Sherman, Macri, Mooks, Grab, Sass and Bauhaus. Labels "I noticed there weren't as many brands showing this year," Newbury noted. "But the ones that were showed good product."
Menswear buyer Marcel Fiel, who operates Jonathan Guy in Melbourne's Prahran district, agreed.
"I've been coming to Fashion Exposed for many years and while there weren't as many exhibitors this time around, they were probably just as good," he said, adding he purchased some offerings from the fair's designer section 'preview'. "The problem I have is that because I buy from new designers, half the time stock never turns up. You'd be surprised by how often it happens - even in these [economic] times."
This is where established brands such as Orientique, which has been operating for 38 years and has some 500 stockists across Australia, saw its opportunity. A long-time exhibitor at Fashion Exposed, Orientique said it experienced its best year yet with new growth opportunities in Queensland and New Zealand.
Owner Tom Tindall explained while other brands increased prices by up to 20 per cent, he was adamant on keeping costs down - even if it meant pressure to achieve comparable growth of 15 per cent and reducing residual stocks by half.
"It has impacted on our margins," he said of growing costs in offshore manufacturing and Australia's weak dollar. "But we've come off the back of a very good summer where we worked very hard on producing exclusive prints and [securing] new customers. We don't want to lose that momentum by increasing our prices."
Tindall said most dresses produced by the brand wholesale from $29 to $39, ensuring it they were positioned well in the marketplace.
"Right now, I wouldn't want to be at the bottom end of the market and certainly not at the top end. There are very few dresses which are priced up to $49. We're in a very good position."
Veteran exhibitor Duchamp said it also recorded positive growth at the fair, despite lower traffic flow.
"Sales were up in womenswear and marginally down in menswear," representative John Gleeson said. "The buyers who were there were serious about business and we made four to five important new clients and met with [existing] retailers."
The autumn/winter instalment of Fashion Exposed will run at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from August 30 to September 1.