The Big Apple to sample Australian fashion at G’Day USA
Austrade media release
20 January 2011
Australian fashion flair from across the country will be on parade for the next three days in New York City at an Austrade-organised ‘Fashion and Jewellery Showcase Event’ which forms part of G’Day USA.
This is the fifth year of the Austrade-organised fashion event which this year provides an opportunity for 14 new and emerging-designers to showcase their latest collections before representatives of New York’s fashion industry.
Austrade’s New York-based Senior Trade Commissioner, Gerard Seeber, said the 2011 fashion showcase is again supported by The Woolmark Company and has expanded to include jewellery designers.
Participating clothing designers are: New South Wales-based O’Hara Designs, Pure Pod, Serpent & the Swan and Tato & Memi; Victorian-based Fujinella and Queensland-based Foxton Danger who are using Merino wool in their collections.
The jewellery designers include: New South Wales-based Ghost & Lola, Lisa Carney, Lola & Bailey and Melissa Berta; Queensland-based Paula Walden, South Australian-based Urban Boulder and Western Australian-based Totomoto-Australia.
“Over the past five years this event has provided almost 50 designers the opportunity to showcase the collections to New York-based fashionistas and has helped raise the profile of our talented designers in the US and New York,” Mr Seeber said.
“These initiatives help provide a platform for new and emerging designers to showcase their collections and gain a foothold in the highly competitive and complex US market,” Mr Seeber said.
“It also provides an opportunity to build their brand, provide networking opportunities and enhance Australia’s global reputation in design to key figures in the $180 billion US fashion industry.
More than 30 key fashion influencers from retailer buyers, showroom agents, stylists and media are expected to visit the showroom at the Australian Consulate from 19-22 January (20-23 January AEST).
Past attendees have included retail buyers Barneys, Bloomingdales, Henri Bendel, Barneys Coop, Searle, and Bigdrop; showroom & agents D2 publicity, Roar, Agent Red International, Decider Group, Doneger Group; while media outlets have included Harpers Bazaar, Vogue and Marie Claire Mitsui lifestyle, Womens Wear Daily, Allure, Town & Country, Teen Vogue, Refinery and In Style.
Austrade has a network devoted to the US market, providing extensive support for Australian exporters and assisting US companies to invest into Australia.
G’Day USA 2011 represents the first time that Australia’s new international brand identity ‘Australia Unlimited’ has been promoted in the USA.
G’Day USA - Australia Week 2011 is a collaboration between the Australian Government (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Trade Commission and Tourism Australia), Qantas Airways and five Australian State governments (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria), with strong support from business, universities and the arts community.
For further information on events being conducted during Australia week, visit: www.australia-week.com.
ENDS
Available for interviews:
Mr Gerard Seeber
Austrade’s New York -based Senior Trade Commissioner
Media contact
Sarkis Khoury
Austrade Senior Media Adviser
Tel: 02 9392 2118
Mob: 0414 401 072