Sydney Fashion Week Ends to Critical Acclaim
The Season's First Spring-Summer Fashion a Display of Individuality
May 1, 2009
Less colorful and ebullient than previous years, the Australian designer collections - the first spring-summer fashion of the season - nevertheless displayed more maturity and self confidence than ever before.
Tempered by the recession which has only just hit the Australian market, the collections at the Rosemount Australian Fashion Show showed more restraint than earlier years, resulting in decidedly wearable, elegant and individual styles.
Trimmed back
"We certainly aren't seeing dark and demure collections as the media seems to think fits the times. We're seeing a lot of really directional fashion with lots of great colors and inspirational collections," Simon Lock, who founded the event in 1995, told Reuters .
Because of the adverse economic condictions, the show was trimmed back by 15%, to 41 shows and only two catwalks rather than three. Many of Australia's major designers like Alex Perry and Akira chose not to participate. But other big name Australian designers like Sass & Bide, Camilla and Marc, Wayne Cooper, Nicola Finetti, Zimmerman, Kirrily Johnston and Lisa Ho made up for their absence. The organisiers are still expecting the fashion week to generate $A50m ($US36m) in business for the Australian fashion industry.
Luxurious Collection
Wayne Cooper, one of Australia's foremost designers, stood out on the first day with his Addicted to Love show - a luxurious collection inspired by strong women like Tina Chow, Paloma Picasso, Jerry Hall and Christie Brinkley with an explosion of irredescent blue contrasted against more sombre blacks and greys. Jayson Brunsdon found inspiration from his own mother, creating one of his most wearable collections yet of silk housecoats, capri pants, shantung cocktail shorts worn with pretty tied shirts in invory, accentuated by chocolate browns, muted pinks and acquas.
Buyers from New York and London were particularly interested in the Zimmerman swimwear collection with its summery swimsuits, bursts of color and soft floral prints. Lisa Ho offered glamorous linen tuxedo jackets in deep blue, flowing harem pants in mocha and strapless dresses with chain beading. Prints came in interesting ocelot and python. Overall, one-shoulder, halterneck and strapless dresses stood out, party shorts were also prevalent.
Shrinking Exports
Newly released research from Sydney-based retail analyst IBISWorld forecasts clothing exports will shrink by 2.4%, to $A322.5m the 2008-09 financial year as fashion shoppers in the US, Europe and Asia buy less Australian luxury fashion. The research predicts the high-end of the Australian market is likely to decline by 19%. Robert Bryant, IBISWorld general manager, said Australia's designer boutiques and luxury clothing stores which had enjoyed a degree of prosperity over the past few years, would be the first to suffer.
Some of Australia most high-end ladies fashion labels have already closed their doors and more are liley to follow. However, Bryant predicts the downturn would be short-term. He expected spending to rise in 2010 as economies globally recovered and luxury end of fashion would return in favour.
