Former IMG Fashion general manager Daniel Hill has confirmed his parting from IMG was expected, but said he has no immediate plans for employment going forward.
IMG Australia is the owner and organiser of local fashion events Australian Fashion Week and Sydney Fashion Festival.
Hill, who spoke with Ragtrader this morning, said he hadn't yet “sorted anything out” in terms of employment and said he would be “taking a break” in the short term.
“We had been in discussions about this [stepping down] for a while. It was just time to pass the role onto someone else,” he said.
“In the past few years we have taken the two events [Australian Fashion Week and the Sydney Fashion Festival] from mid-range to high performing, but it's come to a point where the events require new thinking – it's time for some fresh blood.”
While IMG confirmed that the company has not yet named a successor for Hill's position, IMG Fashion Worldwide senior vice-president and managing director Peter Levy said it was likely that the company would have a new team structure in place “by the end of the year”.
He said IMG would spend some time in close consultation with the team in Sydney, the industry and others discussing the best approach forward and added it's likely that there could be changes applied the event's management structure going forward.
"We will be taking a look at the most effective structure of the IMG Fashion team in Australia moving forward,” he said.
Hill has played a significant role in the organisation of both Australian Fashion Week and the Sydney Fashion Festival since starting his role as MD at IMG four years ago, including the re-signing of car marq Mercedes-Benz as a major sponsor.
As reported in Ragtrader [September 23], the partnership, initially described as a “multi year agreement” by IMG, has been confirmed by Mercedes-Benz general manager marketing Gavin Allen as a five-year contract.
Led by Hill, the deal saw Mercedes-Benz replace previous sponsor Rosemount after a five-year hiatus and grants the car brand naming rights to Australian Fashion Week along with that of its more consumer-centred sister event, the Sydney Fashion Festival.
Speaking on the success of the Mercedes-Benz Sydney Fashion Festival in August this year, he said the event had benefited from “unbelievable management” and had improved under his leadership.
“Considering we started off in a tent in Martin Place for two years before moving it to the Sydney City Town Hall for 2010 and this year, it's come a long way,” Hill said.
“We have really changed the dynamic of the event, especially from last year to this year, and it was a huge success.”
Hill is the latest in a line of IMG executives to depart the company, including Australian Fashion Week founder, Simon Lock, who left in November last year, followed by Graeme Lewsey, IMG Fashion marketing and communications manager, who relinquished his role to take up as CEO of the Melbourne Fashion Festival.