Fashion Week is almost upon us! Rescu. has all the news from behind the scenes, scandalous and otherwise…
The 2012 Fashion Week will be one to remember.
Every label appears to be pulling out all the stops to make an impression – particularly after two high-profile drop-outs, Josh Goot and Dion Lee, raised the stakes.
Rose Smith, the Aussie model who’s Karl Lagerfeld’s new muse and is commonly reported to be the next Abbie Lee Kershaw, is booked for an exclusive walk down the runway, and Nicole Warne, who runs the site Gary Pepper Vintage, is coming on board for new label Talulah.
It’s a far cry from previous celebrity guests – but after Dita Von Teese politely told a reporter that she thought Australian fashion was not comparable to European fashion by a long shot, international stars may have left a bad taste in local mouths.
Smith has done Dazed + Confused, the very hip magazine which tends to produce rising stars, and has also appeared in Marie Claire and major runways like Giambattista Valli. Her appearance exclusively for Hardwick by Marina Hardwick will make a splash with the indie press, even if she’s not quite Gisele just yet.
And Nicole Warne is a fashion name all of her own – for producing Gary Pepper Vintage, one of the premiere vintage sites and a prominent blogger in her own right.
Rescu. expert Alex Perry is normally the biggest draw for superstars, but he’s not showing in Sydney this year. A pity for everybody – but expect more surprise announcements as the week gets underway.
After all, shock new guests are what Fashion Week’s all about.
Image: Rose Smith
Fab handbag and leatherwear label Oroton is making its fashion debut this Fashion Week – and it’s certainly pulling out all the stops.
The invites, in glorious cream with a wax seal, are popping up all over Sydney and Melbourne, and hype is building for the May 2 show at a rapid pace. The ready-to-wear debut is sure to make a splash.
They’ve also invited heavyweights Tommy Ton and Taylor Tomasi Hill to shoot and style the show, adding some serious international cred to their production.
However, all invitees can get in on the action. Oroton’s a sponsor as well as a showing label, and they’re producing the “official delegate bag” for 2012, a sleek black concoction which was personally designed by the head of Oroton, Ana Maria Escobar.
“I wanted this bag to feel like a hand sketch that had been brought to life,” Escobar told the press.
Oroton is already getting a lot of attention from business journalists for its success in Asia; it’s trying an online distribution system which partners with Chinese e-commerce sites.
Escobar and the CEO, Sally McDonald, have said they want to be regarded as one of the big players in the accessories industry worldwide, alongside Coach and Kate Spade, and their sales have grown 60% just this year.
Is Oroton emerging as a world-class fashion conglomerate? Watch this space.
Image: Oroton delegate bag for 2012.
Fashion Week this year has been fraught with gossip – and the people pursuing off-schedule shows are causing more whispers.
Rebecca Valance, Lifewithbird and Carla Zampatti are all holding events off-schedule – see RESCU’s Lifewithbird coverage here.
So what’s caused the exodus? It can be a way to establish independence and garner press interest – Rebecca Valance caused a big splash with her show in Woollahra on April 16, and not just for the pretty dresses.
However, there’s increasing discontent among Australian designers about Fashion Week, particularly where it stands in the international buying schedule.
Apparently it’s scheduled inconveniently for the editors who’d be flying out for editorial picks, and for the big department stores making major international orders.
However, with London, Paris and Milan spending months in a scheduling deadlock of their own, it’s hardly child’s play to figure out the best timing for the Australian events.
Fringe fashion is expanding in a big way – London often has fringe events on its fashion week, as little-known designers take advantage of the buzz and the crowds to direct peoples’ interest.
With the vogue of internet gossip and Foursquare, fashionistas can be at the hub of off-schedule fashion at any time, any place.
It will be interesting to see how Australian Fashion Week deals with its rebels – or whether it simply perseveres undaunted.
Image: Lifewithbird.
Many a Rescu. fashionista has been frustrated to find that gorgeous dress on the catwalk won’t be available till almost six months afterwards in stores.
Generally mass production takes place after the events – a safe bet for designers, who can read reviews and gauge which dresses hit a peak and which ones didn’t impress, and produce accordingly.
However, three Aussie designers are taking a risk and selling their clothes immediately after their runway shows this Fashion Week.
And they’ve put together a sleek way of purchasing – watch the show, order, and have the look within two to three hours. It’s fast consumer shopping at its best, and the three labels, Bless’ed are the Meek, An Ode To No One and Toi Et Moi, are keen to start a new trend.
Toi Et Moie reports that times have changed for designers, who can no longer afford to waste customer time – in case they forget you. “People lose interest if you don’t capture the moment,” Gil Lawrence told reporters this week.
Meanwhile, Ode To No One and Bless’ed will be selling via online shopping site Style Thread, distributing capsule collections of their runway shows to be available immediately it’s finished.
While some brands overseas are making the push towards immediately-available clothing after catwalks, it’s still viewed as a bit gauche among the big brands- Chanel, Dior and Gucci all enjoy making customers wait, as it ups the cache of their products.
Will you indulge in the instant gratification of buying clothes off the catwalk?
Image: Ode To No One.
