The Style of Australia At Paris Fashion Week 2015
Seven Australian fashion designers showcased in Paris Fashion Week 2015 as part of the Australian Designers Abroad program by the Australian Fashion Chamber (AFC).
Thanks to the AFC, this collective of sartorial stars were in the spotlight last week doing business with international buyers and previewing their collections, in a bid to have their brands stocked in prestigious boutiques and department stores abroad.
The lucky seven were Romance Was Born, Ginger & Smart, Bassike, Camilla and Marc, Strateas Carlucci, Michael Lo Sordo and Christopher Esber.
“The AFC is really keen to build the profile of Australian fashion internationally and we will only be able to do that by actually bringing the water to the horse,” AFC’s Group Manager, Courtney Miller, explained.
The seven designers presented their collections from a showroom where buyers would physically check out the clothes and make a decision on whether to stock them or not.
“So although it is probably less glamorous (than showing on a runway), it is actually the real business of fashion,” Miller said.
woman with drive spoke to two of the seven designers about what the Paris showcase meant to them.
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First Timers To Paris
For Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales of Romance Was Born, this was their first time showcasing their collection in Paris and they were understandably excited.
“It gave us something to strive for the collection,” said Anna Plunkett. “It was the perfect platform for us in terms of the more aspirational pieces that we really enjoy making and that are the DNA of our brand. In Australia, these designs sometimes get lost in translation as our market is very niche.”
Anna named collaboration as key to their work and added that they had worked with Melbourne-based artist, Jess Johnson for this season’s collection.
“She is known for her super graphic and detailed drawings that really take you to another world. I think the element of collaboration allows us to tell stories and create a really rich textural body of work that goes beyond fashion trends.”
Celebrating Fashion As A Collective
Unlike Romance Was Born, Sydney-based sisters and founders of Ginger and Smart, were not newcomers to Paris. However, they said they had never celebrated Australian fashion designers as a collective.
“We were thrilled to be representing Australian designers in Paris. It is a great initiative by the AFC and we are proud to be taking Australian fashion design to the world. We showcased Shadow Dancer SS16 as we have explored the enigma of shadows and the beauty of stark reality.”
The Australian Designers Abroad program was established in 2015 to boost the Australian fashion industry by identifying exceptional fashion design talent and promote this talent in key international markets.
Image credit: Australian Fashion Chamber
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