The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) will launch its first Australian Manufacturing Precinct in Melbourne next month, putting six local manufacturers in front of brands and government buyers as it pushes for more onshore production.
The precinct will debut at Global Sourcing Expo Melbourne, running November 17 to 19 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The exhibitors are Melbourne-based ABMT Textiles, Adelaide’s Silver Fleece, Reflective Fabrications in Melbourne, Sydney fashion development agency Techstyle Studio; Melbourne social enterprise The Social Studio, and Launceston’s Waverley Mills.
“The assumption has been that if you want to make clothing, you go offshore. This precinct challenges that,” AFC general manager Sam Delgos said.
Delgos said the six businesses could take a garment from fibre and fabric through to finished product onshore, with full transparency.
The upcoming launch follows a three-manufacturer pilot at Global Sourcing Expo Sydney in June and doubles to six businesses for Melbourne. They will be pitching for work from more than 6,000 buyers, brands, wholesalers and procurement teams at the upcoming event.\ best known for international suppliers. The message is simple: you can make it here.
It also follows uniform procurement roundtables the AFC co-hosted with the Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union (TFTU) in October. Minister for Industry and Innovation Senator Tim Ayres attended, along with MPs led by Parliamentary Friends Group co-chairs Matt Burnell, Zoe McKenzie and Dai Le.
The AFC and TFTU are now refining a joint set of procurement asks. The AFC’s National Manufacturing Strategy positions government procurement of Australian-made product as the first lever for rebuilding local capability.
Waverley Mills has been weaving Australian wool in Launceston since 1874. The manufacturer’s CEO Fran Maiale said the mill works directly with farmers and spins, weaves and finishes its product entirely at its Tasmanian site.
“We’re proud of our history and ambitious about what we can make next,” Maiale said.
AFC executive chair Marianne Perkovic will speak on the state of Australian fashion and the National Manufacturing Strategy during the event’s seminar program on November 17. A panel on reshoring will follow, featuring Delgos, Silver Fleece’s Melanie Flintoft, LoomTex’s Samantha Van Zyl and Sarah Lloyd of the Sarah Lloyd label.