AFC skills guide a vital tool
MELBOURNE: The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) is calling on local TCF manufacturers, service providers and suppliers to register with its recently launched skills register.
The TCF Sourcing Directory has been designed to assist Australian fashion design businesses source on-shore manufacturers and suppliers in a "cost effective and timely way".
AFC general manager Zoe Edquist said by developing a skills register, the AFC hoped to improve the capacity for Australian manufacturers and suppliers to identify new clients, as well as to assist designers to access onshore skills rather than seeking those services and suppliers offshore.
Taking the form of a national free-access website, the directory provides free listings for TCF service providers and suppliers, including: agents, business consultants, cut, make and trim contractors, designers, distributors, fabric agents, converters and merchants, factors, media outlets, machinists, model agencies, patternmakers, retailers, sample machinists and trimming suppliers.
A large number of AFC members had immediate requirements for skills including garment manufacturing in knits and wovens with small-to-medium production volumes, sample machining, pattern-making and domestic or international sales representation," Edquist said.
"Companies offering these services are especially encouraged to register with the directory as soon as possible."
The directory was a reflection of the changing nature of Australian manufacturing, she added.
"Instead of the large mills and factories of yesterday, today Australian TCF manufacturing is largely characterised by small businesses or "micro-factories" that service niche fashion labels rather than major apparel brands. As with small business the world over, small Australian manufacturing businesses have limited marketing budgets and often find it difficult to advertise their services to the wider TCF industry.
This in turn has led to difficulties for fashion designers finding appropriate manufacturing skills onshore; a problem exacerbated by a general unwillingness of established designers to share supply chain information with their emerging peers."
Despite numerous funding applications to develop the directory, the AFC had so far been "extremely disappointed" by lack of state or federal government support for the project, she said.
"We will nevertheless commence work on the project immediately, seeing it as a major priority for its members and essential for the long-term sustainability of the Australian fashion design industry generally."
By Belinda Smart