Last week, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) hosted an emergency roundtable with the industry to discuss the challenges fashion businesses are currently facing.
Among the 60-odd attendees, common challenges faced by businesses include the stoppage to local manufacturing and locked-down workers, the difficulties of applying for and receiving government support, rental negotiations, cashflow and creating garments for the upcoming season.
"We heard from all parts of the eco-system on the domino effect COVID-19 restrictions and further lockdowns have had on the wider fashion and textiles industry," the AFC said in a statement.
"We are now working with partners to request the safe restart of the manufacturing sector of the industry, from Federal and NSW State governments.
"We outlined the significant impact to jobs and businesses, particularly for women and disadvantaged sectors of our community, highlighting our industry's contribution to the economy," the organisation said.
One of the attendees at the roundtable was Postie and By Willa creative director Kristina Wilson-McGregor (pictured).
Wilson-McGregor is part of the family-run, direct-selling business and offers her insights as to how the government can support the fashion business in the long-term.
Over the past 18 months we have faced many challenges due to COVID: manufacturing shutdowns, problems with international production and shipping, and the shutdown of personal styling sessions in the homes.
We produce 70% of our collection in Melbourne, we have been working with some of our makers for 20 plus years.
The majority of our business is face to face; we host Styling Sessions in the homes, so being locked down quickly pushed us into more of a virtual world.
The challenge for us is when the lockdowns end the retail stores open but the homes are always the last to open.
We run our ‘retail experience’ mainly in ‘the home’ and it’s very difficult for us when our stylists and customers want to get back to their usual Postie and by Willa experience and it takes so much longer.
Which of course means heavily reduced income for our stylists and business.
We need to keep local manufacturing going; we need to make local clothing manufacturing an essential service.
The industry has struggled so much over the past few years anyway, with so much being taken off shore.
It’s vital that we support our local workers.
The $1.5 billion dollar direct selling industry needs to be recognised, so that the government sees that our retail experience in ‘the home’ is relevant and can open up for our stylists when all the other trades are allowed to enter with restrictions.
We find it hard that so many businesses are able to enter people homes to run their businesses shortly after lockdown such as builders, electricians, cleaners, interior decorators etc.
However as our in-home ‘retail’ experience will include a small group of the ‘hosts’ friends we can’t.
So if these rules were adjusted it would help reduce the roller coaster of our face to face business and assist in maintaining the stylists’ income.