Pageant AW15
It’s easy to believe that we all live on the internet now. But how does that translate to an area as tangible as fashion? Now that we’ve all committed to never logging off, does the necessity for fashion brands to exist offline truly exist? And going even further, is it necessary for labels to be present in continents other than their homeland? For avid consumers, and particularly those who like to touch before they buy, the answer is probably yes. I’ve spent most of my life in Australia – a place of general frustration for anyone interested in doing anything in time with the rest of the world, like watching a HBO series, and purchasing international labels while they’re current, or even literally sharing actual seasons. And in a classic case of “the grass is always greener”, I’m now at home in Europe wondering “where are all the Australian designers?”
Because Berlin, in particular, feels like the perfect environment for Australian labels to find a home – people here aren’t afraid of colour, print, and looking like they’re from the internet (all stand-out features of current Australian ‘it’ labels such as Pageant, Emma Mulholland, Perks and Mini, Verner, Romance Was Born, Desert Designs et al). Perhaps these labels are a little too informed by an Australian sense of humour, extrovertedness, and general way that only translates to a few. There’s a general pattern of appreciation from people who tend to dance in time to their own beat, but this is usually US-centric. We saw Desert Designs via Solange, Verner via Grimes, Nixi Killick via Lady Gaga and her ARTrave world tour, and Discount Universe via VFILES and NYFW. So, Europe, what’s the excuse for these brands not being stocked here?
Emma Mulholland AW15
Established labels like TOME and Ellery, and even Dion Lee, have definitely found a path to the northern hemisphere, but their circumstances feel a little bit predetermined. Each of them have a refined, luxurious and high end appeal that is an obvious fit for European cities such as Paris. They are also definitely luxury labels, and worked long and hard for their positioning in Australia, in a very different pre-internet-shopping climate. It’s a different route for the younger labels, who’ve had a global market at their mouse-clicking fingertips since day one: one that feels easier to envision and forecast.
If we’re to follow the model that the more refined and slightly feminine labels find easier success in Europe, then we should talk about labels such as UnKneFORM, Elissa McGowan, and Dress Up. UnKneFORM’s Maria, who’re gunning for Paris, says “a small slice of the European market will definitely help elevate the perception of the brand.” And yet continues by saying: “It is not something we have allocated budget toward”. They opt instead to reach out to key muses (living beyond Australia) through social media.
Pageant, who’ve just taken home the Tiffany & Co. National Design Award, have some better news. “We have feedback all the time telling us that the market in Europe would really ‘get’ our aesthetic and understand what we are trying to do as a brand”. To this end, they’ll be showing a static presentation during London Fashion Week in September and, like Verner have for two seasons, hold a sales showroom in Paris. Plus, co-founder Kate says Berlin is the first European city on her list. Watch this space!
UnKneFORM AW15
Technically, Australia lives in the future, a few hours ahead. But we can never shake this feeling that we feel behind on the seasons, experiencing them after the northern hemisphere, instead of before. But, bringing the positive vibes, Pageant, in particular, see this as an advantage: “our ideas tend to be more progressive and it allows our collections to still feel relevant for more than just one season. We really try to push the boundaries of fashion with our fabric choices, art direction, collaborations and films”. Although it can’t be ignored that creating southern hemisphere and northern hemisphere collections with success in both markets is very difficult.
Here lies the problem: geography – a road block made entirely of salt water. It’s the pesky thing that defines the extraordinary budget and timeframe it takes to make collections appear overseas, somewhere other than my island home. And there’s even more budget and time involved in making those collections fit in with the seasons overseas. High cost and high risk doesn’t sit well with many people. For many, it’s safer to stay online.
Text by Hayley Morgan
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