BRISBANE: Applications have opened for designers to participate in the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival in Brisbane.
The Hilton-sponsored event, staged for the third consecutive year, features runway shows, workshops and parties and is aimed at driving retail sales with all garments seen in the shows already available instore.
Festival director Lindsay Bennett said the festival, this year staged from August 24 to 29 - continued to go from strength to strength, with last year's event seeing a 40 per cent increase in ticket sales from the 2006 instalment.
"Nearly 9000 people attended last year's parades indicating the magnitude of this festival with many parades selling out long before the festival began."
Media reports over the weekend suggested some Queensland fashion industry insiders were concerned with the timing of the event - coming as it does just one week after a NSW-government backed fashion festival in Sydney - meaning local orgnaisers would be competing for national designers and media attention.
However Bennett said while the timing of the two was "unfortunate", there was little that could be done as the Queensland festival has set its dates last November.
A schedule for the Brisbane event will be released on Wednesday May 21, with applications for designers to take part in the show closing May 12.