Ever wanted to peek inside the MacBooks of some of the industry’s best, to find out what their non-negotiable Fashion Week activities look like, and how they’re measuring the success of their shows?
Look no further – we’ve rounded up insights from the PR Director, the high profile agency (who’s actually managing the PR for AAFW ’21 as well as a bunch of designers) and the Stylist to find out how they prep, ace and recover from Fashion Week.
The PR Director
Jake Halpin | Founder and Director, GLOSS COMMUNICATIONS
F: Tell us about yourself and your experience with Fashion Week
JH: I am the founder and director of GLOSS COMMUNICATIONS – a strategic, multi-disciplinary communications agency predominantly working with brands in the fashion and lifestyle industries. For Fashion Week, we work with brands to curate their communications approach to the event, including elements such as: guest list and RSVPs, press release development and media pitching, celebrity and influencer dressing and a whole host of other things besides.
I have been fortunate enough to work across Fashion Weeks both in Australia and around the world in some capacity for the better part of the past 10 years and it’s always one of the highlights of my year.
F: Why do the brands you work with participate in Fashion Week?
JH: For brands, Fashion Week represents such an amazing opportunity to debut their forthcoming collections to the entire fashion industry all at one time. For each brand, the objectives may be different – some are more established brands who may hold a show or presentation as a way to launch their latest collection to their network of buyers, friends and supporters, while for emerging brands, the objective may be to increase their awareness and generate new orders from prospective buyers and earn media coverage as well as build their credibility and awareness in the market. Each brand is different – which is part of what makes it so much fun!
F: What are the benefits of Fashion Week for your brand/s? Are there any negatives to participating?
JH: There are numerous benefits for brands who choose to participate in Fashion Week, such as exposure on a global platform and generating awareness to an international audience, as well as creating an exciting, sensory experience for the domestic fashion industry. Fashion shows are a lot of work – they take entire teams of people several months to plan, strategise and actually execute (all for about 15 minutes of actual runway time) but the benefits which can come from this 15 minutes can last for months or even years if done correctly.
As with any marketing or event activity, there is always the potential for downsides, but generally speaking, brands participate in Fashion Week because the benefits far outweigh any potential drawbacks.
F: What’s an example of a brand you’ve worked with who’s had a lot of success participating in Fashion Week?
JH: This year, I’m thrilled to be working with contemporary Australian label We Are Kindred for the presentation of their Resort ‘22 collection – Bloom. This will be We Are Kindred’s fifth year showcasing their collections at Australian Fashion Week, which has helped to gain the attention of international and domestic buyers and earned the brand media impressions which would likely count in the hundreds of millions over the five year period in which they have participated.
F: What’s your non-negotiable Fashion Week activity?
JH: On a professional level, I always make sure I take the time during the week to attend at least one Fashion Week show by either an emerging designer or a designer who I think has the potential to become fashion’s “next big thing”. It’s important that we support and nurture Australian brands to be as successful as they possibly can be on the global stage.
On a personal level, I always make sure I book in for a pre-Fashion Week facial. The stress of preparing for the event tends to not be so friendly for my skin, so taking the time out to do something for myself and relax makes all the difference in managing stress levels in the lead-up to such a big event.
F: How are you using tech to support your Fashion Week activity?
JH: There are numerous technical tools and programs we use for Fashion Week – whether it’s managing the guestlist and RSVPs, communicating between teams on the day of the show or sharing the press assets with media, sponsors and industry delegates after the show has been completed… you name it – we probably use it!
One of the best tools we have for supporting our post-Fashion Week media distribution is Flaunter. After the show is complete, we can upload all of the visual assets from the show and the press release to Flaunter – including runway imagery and imagery of the collection – which can then be viewed and downloaded by journalists in real time and provides us with analysis of who has downloaded the imagery so we know where to look out for press coverage.
The Fashion Week Reps
Emma Dettre | Communications Manager, NAC Media Group
F: Tell us about yourself and your experience with Fashion Week?
ED: I am a communications manager at NAC Media Group and this is my fourth fashion week with NAC. We do the overarching PR for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week as well as our client shows. We craft media stories, guest lists, seating plans, photography briefs, sponsorship liaison and broadcast management throughout the week. We work with everyone throughout the week, which is really the best experience – we get to work with designers, media, production, PR, hair and make up, photographers, stylists and more.
F: Why do the brands you work with participate in Fashion Week?
ED: It is a great opportunity to celebrate Australian Fashion, showcase new collections, meet with buyers and be a part of the week. It is a great networking opportunity for designers and brands and they have amazing opportunities to speak with media about their collections and brands.
F: What’s an example of a brand you’ve worked with who’s had a lot of success participating in Fashion Week?
ED: Bondi Born, duskii, We Are Kindred have all had great successes from participating in Fashion Week. Press and sales opportunities are high during the week and that is what we work with our clients on, utilising every Fashion Week opportunity for brand success!
F: What’s your non-negotiable Fashion Week activity?
ED: Catching up with everyone in between racing around! It is so nice to see everyone’s faces at the shows. There is always a show we want to see too, so we try and take some time to pop into one!
F: How are you using tech to support your Fashion Week activity?
ED: Our phones are our best friends during the week! We use them for calls, WhatsApp groups, emails, taking photos… We need to always be contactable for clients, media, photographers, colleagues. We are lucky we can do most things off our phones which reminds me – must get a portable charger for the week!
F: Fashion Week is finished – what are your must-dos after the event (apart from champagne…)?
ED: Definitely celebratory drinks with the NAC/IMG team… but before we clock off for the week we make sure all press have everything they need – press release, imagery, quotes. Then it’s all about some self-care and sleep ins on the weekend.
F: How do you evaluate the success of Fashion Week?
ED: We track all of our press for the week and evaluate success of the media strategy. We also have de-brief meetings with our clients to talk through the week and opportunities.
Ebanny Dwyer | Communications Manager, NAC Media Group
F: Tell us about yourself and your experience with Fashion Week
ED: I’ve worked some way or another at Fashion Week for 7 years now. Starting in 2013 at Golightly PR working across Camilla&Marc’s 10 Year Anniversary Show, Manning Cartell & Vanishing Elephant.
I remember being so nervous and mind blanking so many key people’s names whilst working the door! And now I’m proud to be part of the core team working on the overarching PR for IMG/Australian Fashion Week wholistically!
F: Why do the brands you work with participate in Fashion Week?
ED: There’s so many amazing positives for brands to showcase on schedule at Australian Fashion Week. Not only are they presenting their newest collection to some of the most influential people within the Australian fashion and media industry but they also have the opportunity to expand globally.
The IMG team to an amazing job bringing over leading global buyers from the likes of MATCHESFASHION, Net-A-Porter, Farfetch and more. Obviously this year is a little different however with the OTT livestreaming all shows these buyer and international editors are still able to see the new collections!
F: What’s an example of a brand you’ve worked with who’s had a lot of success participating in Fashion Week?
ED: I’ve had the absolute pleasure working on the last three MATICEVSKI shows, and seeing each show grow and evolve was really exciting.
The finale show being the MB Present MATICEVSKI show at Barangaroo, I feel really cemented the brand in Fashion Week history as one of the most memorable and iconic shows to date.
F: What’s your non-negotiable Fashion Week activity?
ED: It would definitely have to be back seat catch ups with the team. Driving from location to location and downloading on all the funny stories, beautiful collections etc with my colleagues (/work besties) is definitely what helps us get through the week.
F: How are you using tech to support your Fashion Week activity?
ED: My phone and portable charger is my savour, it’s the most crucial item I own during the week as it keeps me connected to our team, the media, designers, guests, share content on socials. Literally everything
F: Fashion Week is finished – what are your must-dos after the event (apart from champagne…)?
ED: My must do post fashion week is lame but lay on the couch watching terrible tv and sleeping. There is months and months of planning ahead of the week and a lot of long days, late nights and at home emails. Downtime and rest is my go-to. Post Fashion Week Flu is a real thing.
F: How do you evaluate the success of Fashion Week?
ED: I know how much hard work everyone puts into Fashion Week each year, and the fact we are able to make it happen and bring everyone together to celebrate Australian and New Zealand talent is success in its own right.
I’m so proud of the NAC team and what we accomplish across the overarching PR and the individual shows each year and seeing everyone enjoy themselves, the brands being so happy with their press coverage and everyone having a wine at the closing show is success to me.
The Stylist
Emma Read | Freelance Stylist, Creative Consultant and Writer
F: Tell us about yourself and your experience with Fashion Week
ER: I’m a freelance Stylist, Creative Consultant and Writer with a background in fashion publishing (RUSSH, Grazia, ELLE) so I’ve seen fashion week through a number of different lenses in my time! Overall it’s always inspiring and great to see the local industry come together to support both emerging and established Australian brands.
F: Why do the brands you work with (or why do you) participate in Fashion Week?
ER: In terms of exposure and ROI it’s an integral part of the fashion calendar here – although COVID has served a curveball in terms of international buyer attendance, it’s still providing an avenue for a lot of eyes on the designers involved, which in my experience has always served the brands well across sales, marketing and brand positioning.
F: What’s your non-negotiable Fashion Week activity?
ER: Apart from the shows, I love sneaking in a coffee or a champagne (pending the time of day) with other creative friends in attendance who have been buried in a pile of work in the lead up.
F: How are you using tech to support your Fashion Week activity?
ER: My phone is basically my IV for the week – it’s forever attached to my hand. Emails, Instagram, etc – additional devices become too cumbersome when you’re running around so it’s all running through that for the week.
F: Fashion Week is finished – what are your must-dos after the event (apart from champagne…)?
ER: Dinner at Fratelli Paradiso followed by kicking off my heels and throwing myself on the couch for the foreseeable future.
F: How do you evaluate the success of Fashion Week?
ER: From a stylist’s perspective, Fashion Week is such a succinct way to see where our designers are headed overall – it’s makes for speedy planning and inspiration for upcoming shoots and projects, so from my end I always find it successful. From an industry point of view I do think it’s important to give life to our designers after such a challenging time with the pandemic – the coming together of our collective always brings such a sense of optimism and joy after the chaos of planning a show, so even to provide a bit of respite I would deem it a success (and hopefully a great sales period following wouldn’t hurt!).
