So long, farewell

The concept for Fashion Exposed, which was created to enhance and broaden business outcomes for the fashion industry to ensure growth within the sector, was founded in 1999 by four key industry suppliers. These suppliers were Breakaway apparel founder Gordon Black, Yarra Trail founder Tom Latham, John Gleeson from Duchamp and Graham Boyd from Boydex. When trade show mogul and founder of Australian Exhibitions & Conferences (AEC) Marie Kinsella won the contract to deliver the event from 2000, she had a vision. From that time Kinsella and her team have built FE from 100 exhibitors in its first showing to a show where the fashion industry meet, source and buy collections from more than 1,500 diverse Australian and international brands - all at one destination. In December, she told ragtrader.com.au she would step down from the event to allow for a ‘fresh perspective’.

Ragtrader caught up with Kinsella to find out more about her decision to leave and to ask her about some key moments in the event’s history.

Why did you decide to leave your role at Fashion Exposed? 
“My journey with Fashion Exposed has been tremendous and I am very proud of what has been achieved with a supportive board and a hard-working team at AEC. However, nothing remains forever and on a personal level it was time I handed over the reins to ensure a fresh perspective in order that Fashion Exposed can be taken to the next level. Whilst I would not be totally truthful if I didn’t say that there wasn’t any sadness in handing over the reins, there is also an excitement to see how it will continue to deliver success for those involved moving forward.”

Will you stay on in any capacity?
“Not in any official capacity, however as people within the industry will recognise, I have been passionate about Fashion Exposed and have developed many friendships and long-standing relationships, both within the fashion and exhibition industry. My leaving will give me an opportunity to stand back and see Fashion Exposed from a different perspective without the pressures associated with running the business.”

What will you do now?
“Running a company and overseeing industry leading events such as Fashion Exposed is in itself a constant challenge, and on a personal front my work/life balance has been, let’s say, ‘just a little out of whack’. So it was time for me to take a break and look at what other mountains there are to climb.”

Looking back, what were the major changes to the event?
“The launch of Fashion Exposed into the Sydney market was a highlight. At the time there had never been a Sydney launch event that had occupied five exhibition halls equating to 25,000m2 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. Fashion Exposed also started predominantly as a menswear fair and has now a greater offering in womenswear. The most significant changes over the years has been the increasing breadth of product offering to reflect the wider fashion industry and to ensure the largest possible business audience attend.”

What are some of your most memorable moments at Fashion Exposed?
“Our launch event of Fashion Exposed September 2000 was held at the same time as the World Economic Forum at Crown Casino, situated opposite the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. During this period the whole precinct was cordoned off surrounding the exhibition centre. Visitors had to be bussed in from 5km away and then personally escorted into the venue by AEC staff to get through security during restricted opening hours.

Given this was our first Fashion Exposed, this was an incredibly stressful and disruptive environment in which to conduct an event. Many other organisers cancelled or postponed their events, but given that we had invested considerable time, energy and money into the marketing of Fashion Exposed, I was determined that it would go ahead. Whilst small when compared with subsequent events, we managed to attract over 2,500 trade visitors, with many exhibitors reporting they had a really successful fair. From here there was only one way to go – up!”

What problems have you encountered along the way at Fashion Exposed?
“Apart from having to at times balance conflicting industry interests to maintain Fashion Exposed as an all encompassing industry event, dealing with the ongoing nuances of the market and the rapid pace of change remains the constant challenge. We were fortunate for many years that Fashion Exposed grew on the back of a strong economy and retail market. For that we’ve been blessed and I am very grateful.”

What have you learnt most about the industry through Fashion Exposed?
“As managing director of AEC, I have worked across multiple industries and learnt that the fashion industry in Australia is unique. I have witnessed the resilience of the industry, particularly many of the independent retailers in a difficult trading period over the past years, with the online pressures, the impact of a 10-year drought, floods and the growth of the major retail centres. I have also seen first-hand how quickly suppliers adapt and evolve their offering to ensure their viability.

Generally, Fashion Exposed feedback has been positive. We are always offered suggestions of how to improve the event, particularly to create greater ambience, and many of these ideas have been implemented over time. Feedback more recently indicated that we need to have on show a higher-end, more exclusive offering, especially in womenswear, so from this feedback we introduced Premiere - a trade show for selected labels to coincide with Fashion Exposed.”

How have you kept Fashion Exposed relevant through the years?
“We have constantly and progressively aimed to increase the range of offerings on show, and over the years have collocated complementary events such as the Bags and Accessories Fair and Australian Shoe Fair. This has created a one stop shop for the fashion industry. There has been some criticism of Fashion Exposed and it’s perceived lack of sophistication by the higher end of the market, however Fashion Exposed does not and has never purported to be a high-end fashion event. It’s a buying fair, showcasing mid to high-end clothing, footwear and accessories with an unabashed commercial focus. If your business is to survive you constantly need to increase your customer base.”

What makes Fashion Exposed an important part of the industry?
“There’s no other fashion event in Australia that brings so many suppliers and buyers together. With the strength of the major retailers that have their own challenges, the independent retail channel needs Fashion Exposed. Other shows have come and gone and more will come to nip at the heels of Fashion Exposed - because it’s successful.”

What does the future hold for Fashion Exposed?
“As an organiser I am programmed to answer ‘of course bigger and better’, but trade fairs also reflect what’s happening in the broader market. We are all too aware of the challenges that are faced by many businesses in today’s market, many of which are outside of our control. The real challenge is  how to manage and adapt our businesses to the changes in the market. There’s no doubt that those businesses that remain nimble and deal with ‘what is’, as opposed to ‘what they would like it to be’, will survive. I think we’ll see ongoing diversification with markets and industries where many niche, smaller vertical markets develop. With this diversification we will see a more varied offering at Fashion Exposed, with vertical events that are run at the same time. An example of this is Premiere – where Fashion Exposed is running a separate event targeting the more exclusive end of the fashion industry at a different venue, but at the same time.”