As one door closes. . .

And so it is that we face the loss of yet another great advocate for the Australian fashion industry. The imminent departure of Australian Fashion Council (AFC) general manager Zoe Edquist to establish her own consultancy business is a bitter pill to swallow coming as it does just weeks after the resignation of the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA) head Ashley Van Krieken.

While Van Krieken's dedication and service to the peak industry body over his tenure has been widely acknowledged, Edquist's contribution was also much more significant than ever publicly revealed.

It is widely known the former Minter Ellison lawyer was principally the driving force behind the establishment of the council set up - in part under Van Krieken's guidance - to help promote and support Australian fashion businesses at home and abroad.

Equally funded by the TFIA, commercial sponsorship and membership fees, its brief included providing members of the Australian fashion community with legal advice and access to business development workshops covering such topics as the Homeworkers Code of Practice, industrial relations, copyright issues and industry grants.

During her tenure Edquist was heavily involved in the setting up of a skills register, helped developed healthy eating guidelines for models working in the industry while also driving a host of other initiatives including getting legal firm Trusscox Lawyers to agree to offer free legal advice to members. 

And while it could be argued many of these fell under the mandate of her role at the council, Edquist's personal passion was the support and promotion of small business, and it was here she did her best work.

With no one else to turn to fledging designers frequently called Edquist to ask for assistance with everything from sourcing a local manufacturer and pricing stock to invoicing customers and finding an agent. And they were never sent away disappointed.

If she could not supply an answer there and then, Edquist would use her contacts to source the required information which was usually delivered a short time later.

However it was her refusal to abide by political correctness which will perhaps be Edquist's greatest legacy.
Never one to shy away from telling it like it is, she not only provided great copy from an editor's perspective, but also refused to tow the line when it came to acknowledging the industry's many shortcomings.

While this did not endear her to everyone, it did mean that issues such as funding shortfalls, government inaction and outworker abuse were frequently aired and debated instead of being relegated to the full to overflowing "too hard" basket.

The news is not all bad, however. At the time of press the TFIA had yet to announce a replacement for Edquist but it is understood new TFIA executive director Jo Kellock will oversee the day-to-day running of the AFC.

While Kellock has only been in her new role for around a month, she too has been quick to affect change. A founding member of the Fashion Technicians Association of Australia (FTAA), an RMIT Master of Design (fashion) student and a former boutique owner, Kellock's intimate and diverse knowledge of the industry will hold her in good stead to propel both organisations forward.

Having already managed to achieve the impossible by getting key industry stakeholders to set aside their own agendas and attend a brain storming session, she has already proven herself a lady difficult to say no to.

Let's hope it continues.

By Tracey McEldowney