The Great Expectation
Cigdem Cimbenbicer knows a best-seller when she sees one.
Seasons spent trekking through European trade fairs have taught the domestic buyer a thing or two about which brands can turn a profit and which can't.
What's more, Cimbenbicer owns and operates one of Sydney's most recognised independent boutiques, Von Troska; an operation which imports close to 25 per cent of its stock from Paris while churning out its own eponymous clothing line every season.
Clearly, this woman knows her stuff.
Funny then, that even this most seasoned of buyers can learn a new trick of the trade every now and again. Once convinced that local trade fairs could never compare to the ones staged in Europe, Cimbenbicer reluctantly decided to set foot inside Sydney's Fashion Exposed fair last month. The result, she says, was "really unexpected."
Walking away with a host of niche international designer labels and accessories, the domestic buyer also "I was very surprised," she says. "I thought it would be very run of the mill but there were real designers which had their own handwriting and so many niche overseas labels. It was much better than I anticipated."
Recently staged at the Sydney Exhibition Centre from March 11 to 13, the fair did draw a formidable crowd with over 1200 labels across seven fashion categories and 9000 buyers from Australia and abroad.
Organisers were quick to hail it as "the most exciting Sydney fair to date"; most buyers were just pleased it superseded a "muted" Melbourne instalment last season. One such buyer was Libertine boutique owner Amanda McKenna.
"I loved it in Sydney," she says, "We're based in Mount Lawley in Western Australia which has a really alternative, gay scene so we were looking for something edgy and new. There was some really good stuff this year."
Although McKenna snapped up a wide selection of clothing and accessory brands, she was most impressed by Japanese denimwear line Sakaguchi and artisan label Dogstar. McKenna was also relieved by the wide variety of styles and brands on show.
"Everyone loves a good Bonds t-shirt and basics to go with the edgier clothes. It's good that it was a one-stop-shop for us because we came all the way from Perth."
But what about the grand expectations surrounding new FEX initiatives? Highly publicised events such as the Belgian Designer Showcase and the addition of a junior preview section for premium childrenswear brands?
"The preview and exposed sections were pretty indistinguishable," McKenna says. "I didn't know where to go most of the time."
Cimbenbicer's response is more concise.
"I didn?t really notice."
Irrespective of this, she does believe that international designer initiatives are a good idea, as long as greater emphasis on Australian designers is still maintained.
"Local designers usually provide us with a quick turnover, can deliver more quickly and generate a lot of interest among out customers, who have very short attention spans! We have to keep exciting them so we're always on the look out for new labels."
One new-generation designer keen to make her mark at the fair was Queensland-based fashion graduate Robyn Alp. The founder of womenswear brand Robyn Ayres says she was impressed by how much she took away from her first trade fair experience.
"I got to network with a lot of people. It was also good to get feedback on my collection because as a new designer, you want to know what buyers and media think of your clothes."
Still chasing leads from a variety of boutiques throughout New South Wales, Alp says her biggest feat at FEX was securing a $2500 order on the very last day of the fair.
"It's funny that I got a client from Kurrajong because that lifestyle is what I'm angling my product at. It was good to know I'm headed in the right direction with my clothing."
The next instalment of FEX will be staged in Melbourne during the month of September.
Breakdown
Exhibitors
Over 500 companies presented 1200 labels across womenswear, menswear, boutique childrenswear, streetwear, beach and body, footwear and accessories. Leading Australian apparel companies included Pacific Brands, Austin Group and Gazal Apparel.
Buyers
Almost 9000 buyers visited the Sydney Fair from across Australasia and the world including New Zealand, USA, UK and Japan.