South East Asia's RAFW spend up
Of the 200 international delegates to attend the biannual event - including representatives from the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Europe and Asia -Indonesia's contingent rung up the largest bill, with more than 44 Australian designers reporting successful sales results from its six-man buying team.
Australian government export agency Austrade confirmed most purchases were geared towards the high-end fashion category and that buying activity from the region is expected to rise within the next 12 months.
The agency's consumer and agribusiness head, Robert Sutton, stressed that now is the time for local designers to make their move in the thriving TCF market.
"The retail scene in Indonesia, particularly within Jakarta, is rapidly accelerating and there will be a strong opportunity for Australia to grow there in the coming year or two. The challenge for designers is to consolidate this position and seriously consider boosting their export marketing there."
While Sutton attributed the country's new-found spending power to a rebuilding of its national economy, it is believed a concerted marketing effort by RAFW organisers IMG may also have played a part. The company's international marketing and special projects director Jodi Pritchard has reportedly targeted key Indonesian buyers and delegates for some time.
Austrade's Jakarta representative, Audrey Orielle, conceded the number of Indonesian buyers at RAFW had swelled in recent years, from as little as two buyers during RAFW's inception to a crew of six buyers this year. Orielle said the standard of buyers had also bolstered with premium boutiques and department stores - including Fj'L, Tomodachi, Velvet, Lucy House and Funky Princess - present during the latest spring/summer 2007/08 installment.
"Indonesian customers are brand conscious and therefore the buyers are stocking many great international labels. They are purchasing top-end Australian products like Nicola Finetti, Tina Kalivas, Josh Goot and Kirrily Johnston."
Alex Perry, Ksubi, Camilla and Marc, Bettina Liano and Zimmerman had also been well received this year, Orielle said.
She also said it was important for Australia's next generation of designers to step up to the plate and offer a further alternative for Indonesian consumers.
"Indonesian buyers are getting more familiar with Australian labels and knowing that they will be supported within the market is one of the reasons they consider Australian labels."
Finetti sales and marketing representative Magdalena Ivanovska said she was surprised by the response from Indonesian buyers this year, three of which ordered close to a quarter of the label's "massive" spring/summer collection.
Although she would not confirm the total value of sales, she said two new buyers from the market had come onboard this year.
"It's been a strong summer collection for us across the board. It's interesting because all of the purchases from Indonesia have been aimed at offering something a little different."
Ivanovska said while Lucy House and Fj'L made large volume purchases from the label's eveningwear category, Tomodachi stocked up on Finetti's Nylon Flocks collection which was "more casual, more street".
Looking forward, Ivanovska argued that in order to maintain the appeal of Australian labels it was important not to saturate the growing market.
"Although Jakarta is a big place, we want to maintain the relative exclusivity that we have with these boutiques. We're probably not going to go more than that because they come here to purchase things that no other stores have."