With retail plummeting during COVID-19 crisis, local brands band together for We Wear Australian campaign

Local fashion industry rallies with We Wear Australian campaign

Matteau is one of nearly 70 brands in the We Wear Australian campaign

The Australian fashion industry, all but crippled with the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, is rallying together for its survival.

A month ago, Richard Poulson, co-founder of Perth label Morrison and online platform Showroom-X, put out calls to the industry to discuss the situation.

The Emergency Retail Group was born to try to find solutions to the current economic crisis the industry is facing and how they can innovate and collaborate going forward.

Their first major initiative, a campaign called We Wear Australian, launches today.

“Pretty much the whole industry has come together on this,” Poulson tells The Australian.

M.J. Bale is one of the menswear brands taking part

Via a non-biased website, wewearaustralian.com, brands are offering special offers on new-season clothing, some of which is stock from orders cancelled by retailers due to the Coronavirus downturn.

Around 70 brands are involved and include both well-established and emerging brands across women’s and men’s wear and accessories. They include Bassike, Bianca Spender, Carla Zampatti, The Daily Edited, Blair Archibald, Aje, Ginger & Smart and the winner of this year’s National Designer Award, Esse Studios.

Poulson and chief executive of the Australian Fashion Council, Leila Naja Hibri, both concede that fashion is far from a priority for many at this time, with so many people losing jobs or having their income radically reduced.

“It is so sensitive,” says Naja Hibri. “There are different circumstances for different people, and fashion is not an essential.”

That said, with discounting currently rife globally in response to the COVID-19 economic downturn, Naja Hibri says that with this campaign Australian consumers are being encouraged, where possible, to buy from their favourite Australian brands.

KitX is created with sustainable materials

All of those taking part have committed to helping others through this initiative.

Two charities will receive a percentage of income from sales, or actual clothing. They are Thread Together, which takes new excess stock and redistributes it to those in need, and Dress For Success, which dresses women wanting to reenter the workforce.

“It’s really about supporting the brands that you love and at the same time supporting Thread Together and Dress For Success,” said Poulson.

“We’re there to provide beautiful clothing but also to support our community and ensure people feel good about themselves.”

The campaign will run until the end of the month.