Page 18 - Ragtrader Magazine April 2020

18 APRIL 2020 ROUNDTABLE WWW.RAGTRADER.COM.AU
A week’s worth
As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia goes on hold due to COVID-19, Assia Benmedjdoub asks participating designers to cast their eyes to the future.
THE TRADE EVENT was scheduled to run on May 11, with several consumer activations. Here, We Are Kindred co-founder Lizzie Renkert, Bassike co- founder Deborah Sams and designer Alice McCall discuss the changing role of fash- ion weeks across the world.
Globally, trade events are starting to allow consumer access and ‘shop from the runway’ opportunities. What’s driving this?
Deborah: I think it’s a combination of the industry mobilising to truly become a global marketplace, and a shift in the expectations and demands of consumers, driven largely by the rise of social media and accessibility to what’s new and next
primarily a trade event for us and there has to be a direct return on investment from a business perspective, setting aside an exclu- sive number of seats for friends of the brand and potential customers is incredible.
Alice: Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, so it makes sense to invite them on the journey and allow them to see the collections first hand.
How important are fashion week showcases to you?
Deborah: Internationally we show our col- lections four times per year with our agency partner in NY and plan to really accelerate how we activate in the US market over the
These trade events are vital to the continued growth of our business, which is 60% international wholesale.
next few years. For the past three seasons, we have been a part of Moda Operandi trunk shows, which has been really valuable in helping us proj- ect how we plan and buy for our international and domes- tic retail business, based on early demand for product. Here at home, our return to fashion week in 2019 was a
from brands. What was once reserved for buyers and press working to lead times that were in line with seasonal product sched- ules is now open season. It’s so exciting as a brand to be able to connect directly with consumers in this way, the challenge is being agile enough to be able to listen, adapt and shift along with it.
Lizzie: I think it’s really important to make sure consumers feel that they’re a part of something, that it’s not just about selling clothes, but being immersed in the experi- ence of the brand. While fashion week is
really monumental moment for Bassike. It was important for us to reconnect with the Australian industry as a fashion brand, but also on a global scale as an Australian brand.
Lizzie: MBFWA is the most important event of the year for us as so many global buyers attend the event. We also take the three collections we do each year to Paris during Paris Fashion Week, where we show out of a group showroom. These trade events are vital to the continued growth of our business, which is 60% international wholesale.