Latest news with #AustralianFashion
ABC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Australian fashion hit by Trump's trade wars, but is there a fix?
Australian fashion businesses are feeling the pressure of global trade wars, with many having to rethink their off-shore manufacturing partners and target markets to avoid the potential of tariffs.
Telegraph
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Catwalk-worthy fashion at Me+Em prices? These under-the-radar brands are the next big things
To my knowledge no other fashion week opens with a welcoming Smoking Ceremony. This is an ancient First Nations ritual that saw fashion journalists, influencers and buyers coming together around a fire pit to waft eucalyptus-infused smoke around themselves in a communal body and soul cleansing moment. This is simply unimaginable in Paris, London or New York – the outfits wouldn't allow for such spontaneous movement. This is the friendliest, least pretentious fashion week I've been to. Which isn't to say there aren't preeners, socialites and one celebrity. I spotted Nigella Lawson at Lee Mathews, wearing a monochrome floral dress by the designer. But if anyone else noticed her, they didn't let on. 'Most of our big celebrities don't live in Australia,' one journalist pointed out. She didn't seem overly concerned. No celebrities means no unseemly scrums. Australia Fashion Week nearly didn't happen this time. For years, it was run by IMG, the global sports, fashion and events corporation, which turned it, as another typically blunt Aussie editor told me, 'into a tack fest'. Australian designers, working to different seasons, have traditionally been at a disadvantage when it comes to selling to the northern hemisphere. Factor in tariffs (long before Trump) and they were often uncompetitive once exported, although one business here told me import duties to the UK from Australia were never that high. 'It's just that some designers saw they could get away with charging pounds for Aussie dollars so they did.' As a result few European or American journalists and buyers troubled Australia's showrooms and the country's biggest fashion names, Zimmermann and Camilla and Marc, fled to Paris in order to become international businesses. When IMG finally pulled out of Oz Fashion Week at the end of 2024, it looked as though it was game over. At the 11th hour, the New South Wales government, realising fashion can deliver some cultural collateral, stepped in with some money – and here we are, at that fire pit. You can see why Australia's Fashion Council were keen not to let their fashion week die. The country has plenty of design talent (a show called New Frontiers at the start of the week featured half a dozen promising young talents). Australia excels at resort and beachwear – the kind of breezy, easy, pretty, floaty clothes that have become an increasingly important part of European luxury brands' output. Also, with tariffs now such a live issue for any country trading with the US, Australian brands may come to seem increasingly reasonable. One salient lesson here for London Fashion Week (also struggling for airspace on the international stage) is that not everything has to cost £2000 to be catwalk-worthy. Aje is a hugely popular label in Oz, with a cult following on the UK's rental sites, where its ruffled or floral dresses (think affordable Zimmermann) are a big hit with wedding guests and maids of honour. It has a comprehensive business ranging from denim jeans and jackets and its diffusion label, Aje Studio to ball gowns. Knits start at the equivalent of £200 in Australia – Me+Em prices – and dresses go up to around £1000. Its early morning show by Sydney Harbour was a highlight. With prices from £300, Ngali, founded by Denni Francisco, one of Australia's leading indigenous designers, is another business making thoughtful, original design accessible. Francisco worked with First Nation artists on this collection to produce striking printed co-ords, loose dresses and lightweight coats that look uniquely Aussie, but also have international appeal. One can imagine Ngali and Iordanes Spyridon Gogos' artisanal aesthetic finding a loyal following at Liberty in London, whose buying and merchandise director, Lydia King, was also out here, on the hunt, as she puts it, for 'businesses that have critical mass in Australia, but aren't necessarily known in the UK'. Gogos, who is 30 and Greek-Australian, draws on both countries' indigenous textiles. Some of it was deliriously bonkers, but the patchwork coats have a 'collectible', Dries Van Noten feel to them. Lee Mathews, the designer Nigella turned out for, is known to British fans for her clean, flowing silhouettes, and high-quality natural fabrics. But since imploded last year, she's been hard to get hold of in the UK. After I posted some pictures of her dusty pastel maxi-dresses and spare, monochrome separates on Instagram, several colleagues messaged to say they missed not being able to buy her. Perhaps Liberty can solve this. I especially loved the delicate way she handled sheer, along with Hansen & Gretel and Bianca Spender, who all made it look subtle and grown up. Sydneysiders love a healthy lifestyle. Five AM beach runs and swims are not seen as a form of insanity and studios all over the city incubate new forms of exercise which often go global. Nagnata, an activewear label with add-ons, such as brushed alpaca boyfriend cardigans, knitted shorts, retro running jackets in organic cotton and wool leggings, is one of their homegrown secrets. But for how long? Activewear meets lifestyle is where the major growth is right now. Alo, the US activewear brand founded less than 20 years ago, is valued at $10 billion US. Vuori (US, worth $5.5 billion) and Lululemon (Canadian, $37.9 billion) show what's possible. To my mind, Nagnata, with its spicy colours and attitude, is the most stylish. If I were a buyer looking for a fresh point of view with commercial potential at a compelling price (as Harvey Nichols is) I'd be parsing the Australian resort collections, both men's, such as Joseph & James and women's – and hoping that London Fashion Week takes note. While Australia's designers are profoundly aware of the debt they owe to their First Nation elders, they also want to celebrate their country as it is now. Compare with London Fashion Week, which in recent seasons, has sponsored some young designers more intent on making statements about Gaza and the UK government than anything anyone might want to wear. Why not learn from Australia and platform designers who want to dress us rather than excoriate us? At prices we can actually afford.
ABC News
17-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Push to bring clothes manufacturing back to Australia ramps up due to trade war
During Australian Fashion Week last week, models walked the runway clothed by home-grown designers, but while the designs were local, the outfits themselves were made overseas. As the industry's luminaries gathered to celebrate, the escalating trade war between the United States and China cast a long shadow. Determined to future-proof the industry from rising costs and tariff uncertainty, the Australian Fashion Council is embarking on a bold plan to bring the textile industry home. While welcomed by wool and cotton farmers, there are concerns the economic reality of the supply chain may scupper any home-made dreams. In the 1950s, Australia's 'rag trade' was booming. Surry Hills in Sydney and Flinders Lane in Melbourne were bursting with garment manufacturing factories and workshops. But as worker shortages and rising electricity costs combined with cheaper labour overseas, much of it moved offshore. The fashion council, which represents the industry, now estimates 97 per cent of Australia's $28 billion of fashion is produced overseas. "Our sector is at a critical tipping point," chief executive Jaana Quaintance-James said. "We've identified an urgent need for a national manufacturing strategy — one that safeguards jobs, restores technical capability, and strengthens our global competitiveness." Partnering with RM Williams, which has been manufacturing clothing and shoes in Adelaide since 1932, the council will hold six industry consultation sessions, with the full detail of the strategy to be delivered in late 2025. Ms Quaintance-James said the plan would also help job creation. "You're supporting the payment of local taxes, and a broader kind of economic and social development in Australia," she said. Rising trade tension over tariffs between the United States and China has contributed to the sense of urgency. Ms Quaintance-James said while China was the engine room of global textile production, the US was a growing market for Australian fashion houses. With most of the cotton and wool produced in Australia being processed in China, Australia's fashion industry has become collateral as a key customer goes to war with the industry's main supplier. Ms Quaintance-James said news of a 90-day pause of the escalation between the two nations had come as a relief, but it highlighted the vulnerability at the core of the supply chain. Along with less exposure to global volatility, she said a return to domestic manufacturing offered other practical advantages, such as supply chain transparency and shorter lead times in textile production. To make clothes you need fabric, which can either be synthetic or natural. Most synthetic fibres such as polyester or nylon are made from petrochemicals, and it is estimated 70 per cent of the global supply is manufactured in China. Natural fibres can be sourced from plants, such as cotton, or animals, such as sheep. The raw product needs to be processed, which includes cleaning, spinning and weaving, and like garment manufacturing, it is almost all done offshore. Australia is a leading producer of cotton and wool, though both industries have struggled in recent years; the cotton industry faced a trade ban from China in 2020 while Australian wool production this year fell to a 100-year low. Adam Kay, chief executive of grower group Cotton Australia, said the last local cotton spinning mills moved offshore 20 years ago, under pressure from rising labour costs. He said that issue had largely been overcome through automation, but now the high cost of electricity would be a barrier to re-establishing the industry. Mr Kay said the cotton industry already worked with more than 50 fashion brands across the country to supply Australian-grown cotton. "Having a spinning mill locally and doing that next stage of processing, and maybe going all the way through to garment manufacturer, it really is a more circular economy," he said. "It could really reduce the carbon miles that the products have." As Australian wool producers stare down historically low production, seeing wool take centre stage at the Met gala in New York earlier this month was heartening. Considered fashion's biggest night of the year, the annual fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City invites A-List celebrities to dress in a theme — this year it was "tailored to you". Australian Wool Innovation's global marketing projects manager Catherine Veltman said several major brands chose to showcase wool outfits this year, which would lift the fibre's profile. Attracting 15 million views to its live-stream and countless commentaries, Ms Veltman hoped the exposure would encourage mainstream brands and ultimately consumers to consider wool. If Australia is to turn back the clock textile manufacturing, Ms Quaintance-James said the national strategy would require a co-ordinated effort from government and the private sector. "Tariffs are just the latest example. In COVID, we were unable to produce our own healthcare uniforms," she said. "And we're in exactly the same situation. We have not evolved from that. "So when are we going to learn this lesson?"
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Australian fashion week 2025: highlights
The wafts of fake snow falling from the ceiling were far from the most extravagant flourishes at Romance Was Born's sequin, crystal and pearl-encrusted 20th anniversary show, which closed out Australian fashion week. Photograph:Designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales tapped two disparate new collaborators for their collection, Australian painter Laura Jones and toy company Mattel, with nostalgic Masters of the Universe markings and Build a Rainbow logos rendered in sequins on body-skimming midi-length gowns. Photograph:Jones hand-painted landscapes on to a series of structured satin pieces, including a magnificent Watteau train that fell from the back of a form-fitting mini dress. Photograph:Playful bird and butterfly headpieces by milliner Phoebe Hyles, glittering opera gloves and satin trimmed shoes from Charles and Keith added elements of period drama, the era veering between art deco and 80s prom. Photograph:In a country with a notably casual approach, ball gowns are a rarity, but Plunkett and Sales are expert in placing Australiana motifs – gum blossoms, monarch wings, budgerigar faces – on tulle-stuffed, Pierrot ruffled dresses that would look perfectly at home at the Met Gala. Photograph:'Swim all day, dance all night' was the mood Liandra Gaykamangu wanted to conjure for her second solo show at Australian fashion week. The designer's breezy linens, crisp cotton and bamboo modal with a palette of cream, tangerine and russet meant the mood was more casual than club wear. Photograph:Liandra expanded her ready-to-wear range, all of it fit to pull on straight from the ocean. Her multi-darted shift dresses, now upgraded with pockets, are particularly wearable. Photograph:But swimwear, much of it printed and reversible, was still at the collection's core. As well as a sunset-shaded coral print, she added splashes of shimmering lurex to the mix. Photograph:In a week where many models stumbled in vertiginous heels, Liandra's styling was a breath of fresh air, with models in sneakers, sun-smart straw hats, swinging, beaded glasses chains and crocheted phone holders. Photograph:On every chair at Bianca Spender's show there was a pencil and a card with the question: 'What are you holding onto that you need to let go of?' It set an esoteric tone for the presentation of her 'Deliquesce' collection inside Anglican church St Barnabas, a luminous white space with soaring ceilings. Photograph:Spender, who trained first under her mother, Carla Zampatti, and then in Italy and France, is skilled at playing with proportion and draping in a way that few of her Australian peers can match. Photograph:Spender's collection featured twisted and tucked asymmetric hemlines, structured strapless tops, backless dresses with fluid lines and barely there architectural swimwear. Photograph:Over five years, Alix Higgins has built a cult following around the eponymous label that gives his shows an electric energy. In this collection, titled The Needle, he added silk tops, skirts and dresses to the digitally printed nylon pieces and up-cycled tees he has become known for. The colour palette popped: neon purple, turquoise, orange, yellow and red. Photograph:Higgins's own fragmented, wistful poetry was written on both the clothes and the runway carpet, a mix of single words and phrases: 'holy fool', 'tulips', 'roses', 'don't you remember', 'God'. Photograph:There is something disarming about an online generation's ideas being printed on the deconstructed silhouettes worn by Higgins's cast of friends. Photograph:After the Higgins show, fashion editor Maggie Zhou remarked that it made her want to cry (in a good way). Photograph:With her latest collection, Gabriella Pereira proved her mastery of both fabric and form. It featured slinky dresses, micro shorts, sharp tailoring and oversized coats. Photograph:The dresses from Beare Park were Calvin Klein-esque and ankle length, the most revealing included panels of lace, or long strips of silk trailing from hips and open backs. Photograph:In addition to her usual black, grey, chocolate brown and cream palette, Pereira added canary yellow chiffon and satin silks. Photograph:The Byron-based brand used its Australian fashion week debut to unveil a new product category: denim. The show started with a short film featuring the model Jessica Gomes cutting up a pair of jeans and planting the scraps in the soil to emphasise the collection's name: Return to Earth. Then Gomes opened the show in a red denim mini-skirt. Photograph:The presentation creatively styled the brand's signature athletic wear – sweaters, bike shorts, onesies, crop-tops and leggings – with its highly coveted, fluffy knitwear and the new denim skirts, shorts and jeans. Photograph:Jumpers were tied around waists to make skirts, shorts were pulled over trousers and tops were worn half-on, half-off. Photograph:The first eight looks on the Lee Mathews runway were head-to-toe white. The structured shirts, trousers, coats and dresses included a collaboration with London-based designer Renata Brenha: a dress with a swinging crinoline skirt. Photograph:Gradually the colour palette evolved to include lime-green checks amid accents of black, hot pink and cherry red. Photograph:It was a showcase of what Lee Mathews does best: loose, almost masculine silhouettes in luxurious, feminine fabrics that manage to be both practical and ethereal. Photograph:As each look emerged from behind heavy calico curtains, a star-studded audience that included Nigella Lawson and Miranda Otto looked on. Photograph:The Innovators is Tafe NSW's annual graduate showcase, and featured the collections of four Bachelor of Fashion Design students this year: Shiva Yousefpour, Emily Hon, Eidan Ceilidh and Daisy-Rose Cooper. Each one had an emphasis on cultural heritage and craftsmanship. Photograph: Andrew Donato/Supplied Fashion Design Studios Cooper has already established a label, Sleight of Hand, and showed clothing inspired by organic processes and the Australian bush. Using techniques such as felting and fraying to create texture and buoyant silhouettes, Cooper sent a range of sculptural shorts, dresses, shirts and scarves down the runway. Photograph: Andrew Donato/Supplied Fashion Design Studios One black, red and gold sleeveless top with accentuated shoulders and an asymmetrical line across the hips appeared to be assembled from fabric scraps and ribbons – in a nod to her use of dead stock. Photograph: Andrew Donato/Supplied Fashion Design Studios For the first time since its inception in 1999, The Innovators show was not on the official schedule, despite its alumni including Christopher Esber, Zimmermann, Alex Perry and Akira Isogawa. Photograph: Andrew Donato/Supplied Fashion Design Studios The first look Charlotte Hicks sent down the runway was head-to-toe leather, followed by a sequin cocktail dress and a satin skirt covered in tassels. Photograph: Lucas Dawson/Supplied The designer behind Esse Studios has long championed architectural wardrobe staples in sumptuous fabrics, but this evolution was more Boom Boom than Quiet Luxury – a fun transition. Photograph: Lucas Dawson/Supplied Esse showed as part of Frontier, a group presentation that included five other designers like young talents Courtney Zheng (her debut at AFW) and Amy Lawrence (winner of the National Designer award) alongside more established businesses such as Matin and Common Hours. Photograph: Lucas Dawson/Supplied In five years, artist Jordan Gogos has quickly established a reputation for runway anarchy with ultra maximalists collections, rainbow palettes and sprawling lists of collaborators. Photograph:This year Gogos worked with three shoe makers – Darren Bischoff, Joseph Botica and Olivia Bellevue – and visual artists including Troy Emery, who painted a playroom horse on a dress shaped to match the artwork. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian The designer also tapped artist George Raftopoulos to paint a scene on a floor length toga. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian Gogos's Mediterranean motif, from ancient Athenian frescoes to Amalfi lemon prints, was thanks to recycled domestic textiles sourced from the designer's Greek community. Photograph:That throughline reached its zenith in a model balancing a 1.5m felted wig in the shape of a classical column on his head. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian But beneath the playful drama, there were wearable pieces, particularly a series of tapestry coats and blazers made from repurposed Greek blankets. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The VERY humble life of the 'head of Fashion Week': After waltzing up runways and living large at The Langham, we reveal the photos diva stylist Jamie Azzopardi DOESN'T want you to see
'I'm Jamie. I'm the Head of Fashion Week.' With those eight words, celebrity stylist and self-described 'nomadic gypsy' Jamie Azzopardi burst onto the scene as one of the biggest personalities in Australian fashion.
