Australian Fashion Week 2021 announces new naming sponsor Afterpay
Australian fashion has been given a lifeline. With the industry on its knees due to COVID-19, a new naming sponsor and financial incentives for designers mean Australian Fashion Week is back on for 2021.
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Australian fashion has been given a lifeline.
With the industry on its knees due to COVID-19, a new naming sponsor and financial incentives for designers mean Australian Fashion Week is back on for 2021.
“We have all been challenged by this global pandemic,” NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said.
“Today we send a strong signal, not just to the fashion industry but to the events industry, to people right around Australia that Sydney is open for business, that Sydney is a place where we want people to come, that you can come to this wonderful beautiful city and do so in a safe way.”
The annual event, which was shelved this year due to coronavirus, will celebrate its 25th year as Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, replacing Mercedes Benz, which has been the naming partner for more than a decade.
Participation fees for those wanting to show their collections have also been waived to encourage designers and support the industry.
“We are coming back,” iconic fashion designer Carla Zampatti told the Telegraph, declaring the future of Australian fashion is looking “fabulous”.
“The support of clients is back for our business, simply because I think women like glamour, they like beauty and if you have the right product, they want to buy it.
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Vogue Australia boss Edwina McCann was among those on hand for the announcement, joining top designers including Carla Zampatti, camilla and marc, Ginger & Smart and Bondi Born, as well as models including Akiima, Zoe Bernard and Anja Brown.
“Like all industry sectors, it has been tricky,” Ginger & Smart’s Genevieve Smart said. “Depending on which state you are in obviously, people are shopping again and getting their confidence back. We are coming out the other side now. Everybody has had time to look at their businesses and business models and rethink and re-energise. This is an opportunity for us to present that to the trade and consumers and bring it all alive again, to bring the magic back.”
Originally published as Australian Fashion Week 2021 announces new naming sponsor Afterpay