Local heroes

Organisers of September's Fashion Exposed are touting the presence of home grown labels on its stands as a key point of difference, so is the claim justified or just puff? Belinda Smart investigates.

Fashion Exposed seems to be making good on its pledge of continual improvement, with a number of "firsts" up its sleeve at its upcoming Melbourne edition from September 14 to 16. For one thing, the expo will now be co-located with the Australian Shoe Fair (ASF), a fact which, at the time of writing, has already resulted in a 27 per cent hike on last year in terms of anticipated attendance, confirms Marie Kinsella, head of the fair's organiser Australian Exhibitions and Conferences (AEC).  

Buyers will now be able to complete their business on one site and can also expect bigger and better precincts throughout the fair. The floor plan has been enhanced and will include navigable sub categories within precincts, while extras such as a fully functioning day spa promise relief for those attendees who have tested said floor plan to its limits. September's show will also be the first in which the 'No Sweat Shop' label - designed to reduce worker exploitation in Australia's clothing and industry - will have a stand.

No Fashion Exposed & Preview would be complete without a stash of new labels carving out their place in the market and the September crop includes Australian womenswear label Caia, Spanish womenswear label Paramita, knitwear label Twitchett & Tonge and lingerie label Bonbon.

Exodus Clothing will launch its new sub-label Experiment, created through a T-shirt design competition, while sustainable New Zealand sister brands Snowy Peak and Untouched World will also have something to promote; all Untouched World garments produced from July 1 will carry the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development Education (UN DESD) logo.

But if buyers are looking for an overarching theme to the show, they can't go past the decidedly local flavour, which, Kinsella points out, is no coincidence.

"There is definitely a higher contingency of local labels launching for the first time at Fashion Exposed, particularly in the Streetlab, Preview, and Eco precincts, and this is because the fair is responding to buyer demand. After all, people go to trade fairs because they want to find out what's new."

And if it's newness that buyers are after, it follows that emerging designers, who command smaller unit runs, would manufacture locally. It's well known by now that many also see local manufacture as a central plank of their ethos.
Exhibitors in the home-grown camp include first timers Sahara Bloom, Harvest Powell, B-Coz by Melinda Illevold and From Britten by Alex Britten, as well as East of Grey, Eco Girl by Terrene Searle, Franklin by Macri and Pure Pod by Pod Productions.

Sahara Bloom founder Melissa Yeong says onshore manufacturing has always been central to her bamboo fibre label.
"When I started the business I wanted to manufacture locally but had to go offshore because there was a local lack of expertise with bamboo fabrications. However I've since sourced local manufacturers and will re-launch women's and babywear - now made onshore - at Fashion Exposed."

Of course the "Australian made" tag does not come cheap, and Yeong has boosted her price points accordingly. Previously ranging from $20 to $30 her range of basics now starts at $35, but offers added value to justify the higher price.

"With the women's tees I've introduced a heart-shaped crossover detail on the neckline and a brighter palette to give the garments a point of difference. The babywear now includes a combination of vintage and cotton prints in a contrast detail." Eco label Pure Pod, from Byron Bay company Pod Productions, has always manufactured onshore, says founder Kelli Donovan.

"I worked in the rag trade in Melbourne for 18 years and I saw so many family-based small manufacturers being forced to close that I'm extremely passionate about keeping manufacturing Australian."

Having recently sourced makers in Brisbane that cater to bigger runs, the company plans to progressively boost its volumes in future and thereby keep prices attainable. The Pure Pod collection retails for $70 to $400, with average prices around $100 to $200.

"We don't do fast fashion trends and prefer to keep our product timeless, although we do inject new prints and fabrics every season to keep it interesting," says Donovan. Not all local labels fall into the "eco" category however. First time exhibitor Harvest Powell - whose self-named brand embraces a determinedly 'luxe' aesthetic - swears by local manufacture.

A Queenslander by origin, Powell is now based in Melbourne, and will launch the "AirHart" winter 09 collection - inspired by legendary American aviator Amelia Earhart - at the fair.

"This is our first range to have been designed and manufactured locally in Melbourne. Our first ever appearance at Fashion Exposed will comprise 25 to 30 pieces with prices expected to start around $300." Powell says she would never consider anything other than going local.

"We want to support our local manufacturers who have such a high quality and standard. We take pride in our customers having confidence in the garments that we produce. The garments need to pass our high quality standards, before they even reach a customer. It's not just about banging out some new fashion item. The 'that'll do' approach does not cut it with us."

By Belinda Smart