Designers to cash in on retail tours
Melbourne Fashion Experience is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Deborah Boreckyi and April Duck and launched last month following nine months of intensive market research.
Co-founder April Duck said the service - which organises individually tailored tours to high-end designers for groups of no more than five shoppers - was designed to provide a counterpoint to the city's coach loads of factory outlet bargain shoppers.
A number of Melbourne labels had shown an interest in participating including Amar, Candy Spender, Jenny Bannister and Preston Zly, she said.
"The designers have been extremely enthusiastic about the service as it gives them targeted access to consumers who want to shop for high fashion product. Designers immediately recognised the need for something like this. Even during Australian Fashion Week they find they're not getting as much exposure as they would ideally like."
The tours would include a Mini and Maxi Experience, as well as specially tailored tours on request. The Mini Experience - priced at $205 - would run for four hours and include morning tea; while The Maxi Experience - priced at $255 - would run for six hours and include lunch, she said.
"From the consumers' point of view, if you're a visitor to Melbourne, you've got a limited time to shop, and you're serious about high fashion, these tours allow you to use your time effectively."
Renowned Melbourne fashion designer Gwendolynne Burkin described Melbourne Fashion Experience as "a unique and intimate shopping experience that you would not find anywhere else in the world".
"An added bonus of this tour is the opportunity to meet some of the designers," she said.
Melbourne Fashion Experience's ambitious long term plans included after hours tours, greater coverage of emerging designers and the possible launch of a Sydney Fashion Experience, Duck confirmed.