Fashion 2011: Fighting Fast Fashion Every Fashion Week

Australia has an extraordinary independent fashion scene. The young emerging designers we saw at MSFW recently did not disappoint, with many showing signs of promising careers. At a time when Aussie retailers are flailing within a market that shows no signs of budging, independent and emerging designers need our support now more than ever. It’s crucial the fashion community gets behind our independents, or risk loosing them to international retail giants such as ASOS, Zara, Topshop, H&M and Urban Outfitters.

Let us consider how some of our favourite designers began. Prominent labels such as Arnsdorf, Thurley and Dhini did not materialise overnight, and their success most certainly cannot be attributed to luck. Aside from devoting countless hours to the development of their labels, access to support networks and backing from industry professionals proved crucial in leveraging their brands. Keep in mind, many young designers lack access to funding, thus inhibiting their ability to reach out and connect with consumers. Without the support of third-party organisations, many of our favourite brands would cease to exist. But thanks to the rise and the current popularity of fashion festivals, events and online forums, our independent fashion community can now breathe a sigh of relief.

It sometimes seems as though fashion festivals such as MSFW, RAFW and LMFF exist for the promotion of established designers, for VIPs, celebrities and the fashion elite to swan around in their high-end designer ensembles. I’m not going to deny, this element of fashion festivals does interest. However did you know such festivals are strategically planned to help bridge the gap between our independent designers and the public?

Program Director of Fashion at RMIT and Former Director of LMFF, Karen Webster believes events such as LMFF have helped shape Australian fashion.

“The fashion industry here in Melbourne and in Australia is in a very different place now. I think we have a really buoyant and dynamic independent designer market. Now you can base yourself in Melbourne and sell to London and Paris. That can only happen if we win the hearts and souls of people in the street, if they feel good about fashion,” she said.

Making it within the fashion world is challenging enough, but to survive, flourish and stay afloat is another thing altogether. Fashion festivals and online communities such as Streetfash have helped spur a backlash against fast-fashion and the poor quality of garments manufactured by ubiquitous retailers. We have noticed a transformation in the local fashion industry in attempt to offset this movement. The quality of independent designers products is only increasing as backing within the industry and general community grows. The challenge is to steer consumers away from accepting inferior quality clothing and to stamp out that ‘disposable’ mentality of the fashion industry, by educating and promoting our diligent homegrown designers. Otherwise they will be completely overlooked.

We must applaud the independent fashion community and their support networks on their efforts in keeping the art of fashion alive within this country. Support your local independent fashion.

Words: Christie Sinclair