IMG opens up to the public
Who needs God? Organisers of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) have taken it upon themselves to close one door and open another.
IMG Asia Pacific, which co-ordinates the Australian spring/summer and transeasonal designer collections, has announced the launch of a new festival to promote Sydney's fashion, retail and tourism sector. Dubbed the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival (RSFF) and debuting on August 13 to 17, the event will follow a similar formula to its Melbourne and Brisbane counterparts with runway collection shows, in-store promotions, celebrity plugs, exhibitions and galas staged in and around Sydney.
IMG Fashion Asia Pacific managing director Simon Lock said the project had been in the pipeline for six years and had only recently been granted NSW government support.
"Sydney is one of the last major Australian capitals without a retail fashion festival of its own," he said. "Department stores like Myer and David Jones have been very enthusiastic about taking part in an event of this scale."
In conjunction with the announcement, IMG has confirmed the beleaguered RAFW transeasonal collections will "no longer take the same format" with no central venue or infrastructure to support the industry-only event. IMG said designers would still be offered the opportunity to take part in an official schedule distributed to key buyers and media at a "small fee" instead.
Lock said details were still been finalised for the transeasonal instalment but confirmed designers would be responsible for organising their own sites and venues.
"It will ensure there are no schedule clashes when buyers and media view the collections," he said.
While an official list of participants for the new RSFF has yet to be released, organisers have confirmed the festival will include runway shows featuring highlight pieces from the RAFW spring/summer collections in May. The parades, staged in a specially built showroom at Martin Place, will be produced by the same teams responsible for RAFW and include state-of-the-art lighting, sound and stage configurations.
A special 'Retail Walk' will encourage consumers to move between the runway shows into surrounding retailers and department stores, with special incentives offered throughout the five-day festival. Organisers said while many events will be complimentary for the general public, others will be offered through a special online ticketing system.
Other headliners for the festival include the 'Fashion Arena', which will feature guest appearances by media celebrities, radio outside broadcasts, daily promotions, fashion and beauty makeovers, book signings and sponsor activities. Special urban and sports themed showcases will also give a nod to the 2008 Olympic Games while smaller, fringe activities organised by third parties will also be encouraged.
The 2008 Australian Fashion Laureate, an annual award launched last year to recognise outstanding achievement in the local fashion industry, will be presented at the close of the festival.
By Assia Benmedjdoub