California Apparel News

SYDNEY, Australia—With 15 years under its belt, Rosemount Australian Fashion Week has become the premier showcase for designers from Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Sydney Opera House, the five-day run of the Spring/Summer 2010/2011 shows took place May 3–7 at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in the Circular Quay. The event highlighted more than 155 designers on the runway in collection and group shows, up from 33 designers in 1996. In addition, the event included Swim Fashion Week @RAFW this season.

As the popularity of Australian brands grows, the word is out among U.S. retailers that it’s worth the long flight Down Under to find new, innovative lines to stock their shelves.

For Mark Werts, founder and chief executive of American Rag Cie. in Los Angeles, Australia has been a regular stop on his schedule for the past nine years. The store was the first to introduce many Australian brands to the U.S. market, including Anna & Boy and Ksubi.

Last year, Jaclyne Brander journeyed to Sydney in search of new brands for her Santa Monica, Calif.–based Fred Segal Fun boutique. Brander made a repeat trip this season and participated as a judge for the “New Generation” collection show.

Lyne Butterworth, owner of the concept boutique Planet Togs in Orlando, Fla., traveled to RAFW in search of new, high-end designers. She visits emerging fashion weeks around the world to find designers who are not currently selling in the United States. This was her fourth trip to Sydney and her third trip to RAFW, where she has discovered designers such as Konstantina Mittas, Christopher Esber, Dion Lee and Leonardo Salinas. “Australia has always been that sleeping giant,” Butterworth said. “There are great designers down here. hellip; It’s a phenomenal market.”

Karen Meena, vice president of RonRobinson at Fred Segal in Los Angeles, shopped the Australian runways in search of new, innovative designers who would work well for her customer wanting exclusive product.

Australian brands such as Insight have performed well for her in the past. Meena said she found new brands this season, including Nookie, Flannel and Songs For The Mute.

In addition, Jason Bates, owner of the Derelicte showroom in the California Market Center, also attended RAFW. He offered the “New Generation” collection show winner, Si.me.ri.an designer Ivana Stipicic, an exhibition space at the Class trade show, which Bates organizes.

In the future, Bates also plans to offer a space at Class@ASR for swim brands.Landmark celebration

It’s no secret that Australian designers have been making waves around the world. To celebrate fashion week’s 15th year, the Powerhouse Museum presented an exhibition titled “Frock Stars: Inside Australian Fashion Week” in collaboration with fashion-week organizers IMG Fashion. The ongoing exhibition highlights the history, challenges and achievements of the Australian fashion industry.

This season’s tag line, “15 Years of Innovation,” celebrated the industry’s talented designers. “We thought we really do need to be proud that 15 years is significant,” said Graeme Lewsey, marketing and communications director for IMG Fashion, Asia Pacific. IMG acquired the fashion show in 2005. “We’ve got great design. We’ve got great resources. Fifteen years was all about celebrating our unique point of difference,” Lewsey explained.

The 15-year mark also served as a motivational tool of sorts. “From our perspective, we use the 15th year as a bit of a catalyst to recalibrate the industry, make people reassess where they’re heading, and certainly to reinforce some of their domestic representation and strengthen their brands,” he said.

For Australian designers and labels—such as sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann and Alex Perry, who have shown almost every season—RAFW has been an important platform to help build their businesses.

It has also served as a place of discovery for emerging talent. This season the event reached out to a greater international audience, including key retailers such as Net-a-Porter and Selfridges in the United Kingdom, Shopbop in the United States, United Arrows in Japan and Antipodean in Singapore, as well as Fred Segal Fun, Ameritgcan Rag Cie. and RonRobinson in Los Angeles.

RAFW also garnered attention from high-profile editors and bloggers such as Tim Blanks from Style.com UK, Susie Bubble with Stylebubble.co.uk, Tommy Ton for JakandJil.com, and reporters from magazines Dazed & Confused, GQ, Asia Pacific and Marie Claire, France and Hong Kong.

With a temperate climate, diverse landscape and its own celebrity culture, Australia turns out everything from swimwear and surf brands to stylish menswear, women’s ready-to-wear and glamorous evening collections. Combining a European heritage with an easy, carefree lifestyle, Australian designers have developed their own brand of style.

Labels such as Sass & Bide, Ksubi, Camilla and Marc and Insight and surf brands—including Billabong and Quiksilver—have developed loyal followings. Their unique, colorful and sometimes irreverent flair for style has created an interest from consumers with an eye for innovative products.

Geared toward a trans-seasonal climate, Australian and Asia Pacific collections, with their easy sophistication, adapt well to climates in places such as Southern California. Think colorful digital prints by Ginger & Smart, innovative denim from Ksubi and relaxed ethnic chic from Kirrily Johnston, as well as the easy, layered looks and tailored suitings by Zambesi. The collections are well-executed and wearable, making them a venerable offering in the marketplace. Opposites attract

While the word is out that the fashion scene is happening Down Under, offering product on an opposite seasonal calendar can be a challenge. Having a U.S.-based distributor is a plus and also helps to make product more affordable.

Despite the challenges, many brands have successfully built businesses overseas, including Zimmermann, which has a thriving business in the United States, and Camilla (which is not related to Camilla and Marc), whose international business has grown 500 percent in the past two years.

For Camilla, Malibu, Calif., may be the next location for a boutique offering the former actress’s colorful caftans and easy, chic collection, which are already a favorite of celebrities. “I think the Australian market [has] really evolved. I think we’ve got more stamp on the international market now, whereas before we were sort of secluded and couldn’t trust the fact that we could deliver,” said designer Camilla Franks. “But I think now, like Australian celebrities, [designers have] made a real stamp overseas. Because we are slightly different with the way that we dress, I think overseas really likes that. In America, it’s refreshing to see something different.”