Joanna Hunkin: Fashion week off-trend

Joanna Hunkin: Fashion week off-trend


It's a harsh ultimatum but one Fashion Week organisers need to face up to.

As the event enters its 12th year, the gloss and mania that once surrounded it has dulled. As one designer pointed out to me - how glamorous can an event really be when the opening night party is a barbecue and cash bar?

Many of our biggest designers have now turned their backs on the event - opting to show overseas (Karen Walker), expand their retail business (Kate Sylvester) or stage their own fashion shows, on their own terms, ahead of Fashion Week (World and Nom D).

Despite the organisers' claims it's "around the same size", this year's designer line up is smaller than previous years - continuing the downward trend that began about four years ago.

Partly, it's been recession related - it costs a lot of money to put on a runway show at Fashion Week (about $50,000 all up - including models, hair, make up and lighting) and sponsorship is increasingly hard to come by.

There are fewer sponsorship dollars in the marketplace and it's harder than ever to convince big business to invest in fashion over other, worthier causes.

The Fashion Week brand has also struggled with sponsorship - losing their naming rights sponsor three years ago. With it, they also lost thousands of dollars of airfares provided by Air New Zealand to bring international delegates to the country.

Recent years have seen international media and buyers all but disappear from the front row, replaced by bloggers of questionable influence and local buyers.

It's not just the cost that stops international visitors attending - timing is also an issue. Last year, the event was brought forward to circumvent the Rugby World Cup. Now, it clashes with New York Fashion Week, which begins on Thursday.

Bringing the event forward places additional pressure on local designers to get their winter samples made - at the same time they're trying to produce their summer retail stock.

For some, it's more than they can handle, especially when the returns are so meagre.

Dunedin label Nom D pulled out of last year's event after being staunch supporters since its inception. Imagine their surprise, when they found their absence had no impact on their sales or brand.

This year, they've decided not to bother. After all, why spend $50,000 on something that isn't growing your business?

That's not to say the event doesn't benefit anyone. For young, emerging designers the event provides invaluable exposure to media and buyers that's essential to establishing them in the local market.

But much of the appeal for those media and buyers are the big names - the chance to see what our fashion leaders are putting forward. Without them, interest will quickly wane and models will be left strutting before an empty front row.

So what needs to change?

At its simplest level, organisers need to get real. The world is not the same place it was 12 years ago so it's only natural the same format isn't going to work.

Budgets around the globe - in all industries - are tighter than they used to be. People will not fly halfway around the world to see a couple of key designers' collections.

Kiwi designers who are serious about breaking into international markets need to take their product overseas and show directly to those markets (as many already do).

If Fashion Week is not going to be about international wholesale (which most people already accept) then you have to cater to the available market - namely local buyers.

How you do that is open to debate. Some believe showing in-season stock would better serve their brands than showcasing the following season's collection.

Others disagree. But speaking to designers this week - both those participating in Fashion Week and those who aren't - everyone agrees, it's time for a major shake-up.