RAFW's winter parade draws chilly reception

SYDNEY: The future of Rosemount Australian Trans-seasonal Fashion Week (RAFW) looks uncertain following a lacklustre response from buyers and designers.

Staged at the Overseas Passenger Terminal late last month, the trade-only event came under fire from the outset with media delegates questioning the lack of high-profile participants as well as scheduling conflicts with Paris Fashion Week.

Tricia Lum, a partner at Singaporean-based boutique Antipodean, said the event paled in comparison to previous autumn/winter instalments and believed the decision to relocate it from Melbourne to Sydney did little to boost its profile.
"When I went to the Melbourne [instalment] a few years ago, it was a place you could really discover raw talent," she said.

"This year's wasn't as comprehensive and even though I was hoping to pick up a new label, I didn't."

Lum said because her boutique sources 80 per cent of its stock from regional designers, including Fleur Wood, Sewn and Shona Joy, "fresh and interesting" collections were a must. She said if organisers wanted to ensure a viable future for the Trans-seasonal event, they would have to attract a greater designer presence.

"If it continues the way it was this year, the number of international attendees will go down. Previous years were not so bad with better labels and better ranges."

Beloved boutique owner Nicki McMahon - who stocks brands such as Natasha, Laurence Pasquier, Jane & Eleni and Jayson Brunsdon – said while she thought there were some strong collections, she did not pick up any new accounts.
"Trans-seasonal didn't attract any of the bigger labels like the spring/summer shows did and there was nowhere near the same amount of buyers."

Even respected local designers expressed concerns about the poorly attended trade event. Yeketarina Peker founder Katya Peker said despite investing $4400 in a group show, she too walked away with no new accounts.  

"It's quite disappointing when you invest in something that's supposed to generate sales and publicity and get little return. At this stage, I don't see a reason to come back next year."

By Assia Benmedjdoub