Australia to bring its designers to Paris

London - Australia may be polar opposite from our fashion season, but the continent has a pool of cutting edge designers that is taking the world by storm. While its homegrown fashion week may not have sent shockwaves to the industry at large, its designers will have the chance to participate on a level playing field when they come to the world's leading fashion city that is Paris.

The Australian Fashion Chamber (AFC), a representative body for designers much like the UK's British Fashion Council, has announced a group of designers have been selected for their Australian Designers Abroad Showroom in Paris, to be hosted during Paris fashion week end of this month.

The line-up will include a mix of established and emerging Australian fashion talent, namely: Romance Was Born, Tome, Christopher Esber, macgraw, Megan Park, P.E. Nation and accessories designers Sarah and Sebastian and Pared Eyewear.

According to AFC, the designers were chosen based on their industry skill, strength of their current seasonal collection and potential success in the international market.

Australian designers will have access to the world's fashion stage

This will be the third Australian Designers Abroad showroom in Paris, one of the most prestigious stages for its country's ready-to-wear collections, attended by a variety of international retailers, media and industry players.

The initiative was launched by the Australian Fashion Chamber in March 2015, to build profiles of talented Australian designers during international fashion weeks, cementing reputations and growing stockists abroad. The BFC operates a similar initiative, with its London show ROOMS, a pop-up showroom which takes emerging British brands to Paris and beyond.

"Designers Abroad takes our best design talent and helps them build their export business and build global footprints,” said Courtney Miller, General Manager of Australian Fashion Chamber. For Australian designers, it’s a massive undertaking and expense to take their collections to Paris season after season – we make that opportunity possible.”

Designer's collections will be seen by international media, buyers and influencers

The Australian Designers Abroad Showroom will be centrally located in the Place Des Vosges during Paris Fashion Week. It will launch with an Opening Night presentation, and is expected to be attended by key international media, buyers, influencers and government officials.

In the lead-up to the event, the Australian Fashion Chamber will work collaboratively with designers ensuring that designers are well-prepared to meet the demands of the global fashion marketplace. Designers will also be offered sales, marketing and media support as part of the event, to expand their respective businesses.

Photo credit: Australian Designers Abroad March 16, AFC website