Paris focuses down under

In a move set to benefit the national textile, footwear and clothing industry (TCF), the Paris Pret-a-Porter trade show will set-up an installation to specifically promote Australian designers.
Under the newly-introduced Australian Design Focus, exhibitors for the September session will showcase their collections by country rather than by theme, as in previous years.
Expected to draw more than 40,000 international retailers, wholesalers and importers, the trade show has already attracted Australian fashion exporter Sukimoo which will showcase the collections of 13 designers including Ae'lkemi, Breathless, Mandi Mac, Amar, Rezist, Bowie, Ed and Beck, Pure Soul, Dressage by Ericaamerica, Vicious Threads, Fashion Assasin and Kerry Grima.
Sukimoo owner Margaret Farrell said the exhibit should provide designers with an opportunity to expand their businesses into the international market.
"I hope to show how fantastic these designers are and how different, fresh and exciting their collections are by virtue of their artistic detachment from European trends. I see what Sukimoo do as an extremely positive thing for Australian Fashion, it makes the buyers life a lot simpler and allows them access to designers and collections they would otherwise not be prepared to travel the world to find."
With the last prêt-a-porter show attracting 1075 international exhibitors, the number of Australian representatives is expected to rise. Sydney-based Sandra Trew, from the local arm of Promosalons - the company promoting the exhibition - said that the focus already indicated a growing interest in the Australian TCF industry.
"The show will be the first time the organisers have offered to do a focus. They are offering to do this focus to encourage and help more Australian designers to participate and because they know that having Australian labels there will create a lot of interest for their show."
Held over four days - September 1 to 4 - at the Paris Expo Centre, the event will showcase spring/summer 07 collections from around the world.
"I certainly hope that a few more designers will come on board once they hear about this opportunity," Frew said. "If we get four more designers to bring up our exhibition space to 50m2, it would be a good size for the focus."