Fashion needs rethink to keep NZ on map

NZ Fashion Week managing director Pieter Stewart says designers need to find new ways to keep local fashion on the map. Photo / Martin Sykes

As Air New Zealand Fashion Week prepares to announce its 2009 line up this week fashion houses are facing the prospect of selling their autumn/winter collections in a vastly altered export scene.

"Throw out the rule book, everything's changing," Fashion Week managing director Pieter Stewart told designers at a seminar entitled 'The Fashion Export Reality Check' last week.

Stewart said it was a year for finding other ways of putting and keeping New Zealand fashion on the map.

"I don't expect huge new orders this year. I would expect retailers to be more demanding than ever on their suppliers," she said. According to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise figures New Zealand's apparel exports including children's wear, lingerie, footwear and sportsgear was worth $305 million in 2008, down from $321 million the previous year.

Ian Webster, director of women's fashion label Verge which exports to Australia, said there had been fundamental changes in consumer behaviour which were going to carry through regardless of what shape the economic recovery took.

Consumers were buying less and demanding more from their fashion garments. "People seem to be making more lifestyle choices rather than consumer choices."

Former Bendon chief executive-turned consultant, Stefan Preston, told the gathering that the world didn't need more brands - what it needed was new stories that were relevant to the atmosphere and time, such as those around the environment and the recalibration of the economy. "These massive trends are going to give rise to opportunities for new brands."

He cited the example of merino clothing manufacturer Icebreaker's Baacode traceability system - each garment has a code allowing the buyer to go online and see the item's story, including interviews with the farmers of the South Island sheep stations which produced the wool.

Stewart said Europe was "extremely difficult" to get traction in, and would probably always be so. By the time freight and high production costs were added in New Zealand clothes ended up being too expensive.

While British retailers might stock a New Zealand collection for a season or two it was hard to maintain that relationship without public relations and showroom resources there, which required a large investment.

Asia was the fastest growing market, but there were still few multi-brand retail outlets and most New Zealand designers were not at the point of opening their own stores offshore.

In Japan shopping was "a way of life". It was essential to be represented by a showroom there, and to create a buzz around a brand. "They love bling, they love glamour, they want something exciting. Too cool for school just doesn't work there."

Australia was still Kiwi designers' best bet and they could compete on price there, and several had also gained good traction in the United States.