Editor-at-large Julie Roulston brings FashioNZ readers the very best from her fashion beat, each week…
Line Extension of the Week
Kathryn Wilson had fashion editors doing a double take as they read “Kathryn Wilson bikini” on the run sheet at Showroom 22’s Media Open Day last week. Yes, the clever woman has collaborated with experienced swimwear designer Emma Burton to create two swimwear styles for Summer 2012/13. There’s a ‘50s one piece – the Celine one piece – and the Boh bikini, both with O.T.T. glam chain detail which is repeated on a platform heel from the Kathryn Wilson collection.
Wilson and Burton first worked together to create the leotard for the designer’s inaugural New Zealand Fashion Week show in 2011. Burton’s EmmaFord label has also been seen on the NZFW runway, in a New Generation Group Show outing in 2010, with FashioNZ as media partner. You may also have seen the swimwear designer’s work in the form of three styles produced for Cybèle for Summer 2011/12.
Sacking of the Week
Twitter positively squawked this week with the news that Vogue Australia Editor Kirstie Clements had been fired after 13 years in the role, and 30 years with the company. Clements is to be replaced by Harpers Bazaar editor Edwina McCann, who worked at Vogue for some seven years during the ‘90s, before taking up fashion roles at The Australian and Grazia. McCann has held the Harpers editorship since 2009.
Fashion Quarterly is the closest thing New Zealand has to Vogue. Here’s a quick guide to our fashion magazine publishing doyennes: Fiona Hawtin has been at the helm of FQ for four years, following on much the same time as editor of NZ Herald Viva.
Leonie Barlow was Hawtin’s predecessor. She moved to the Australian Women’s Weekly after her four year tenure in ’07 and has recently resigned from ACP after 17 years with the company.
Christina Wickstead was Editor from 1996-2000 before leaving to form City Mix with Amanda Linnel – now editor of Viva.
And Paula Ryan was founding Editor, with an extraordinary 14-year tenure.
Scheduling Clash of the Week
IMG, who own Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, have announced that their event will be brought forward from 2013. MBFWA will move from its current early May timing, to the last week in March, “in order to better allow deliveries that coincide with the international fashion calendar, and allowing for increased business opportunities for designers.” MBFWA will also partner with trade fair ‘Premiere’.
Imagery Julie Roulston/Sony NEX
This all sounds good and reasonable, but MBFWA now clashes with 16 year old retail event L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival. LMFF’s Graeme Lewsey – himself a former Australian Fashion Week staffer under both IMG, and previous owner AFI‘s Simon Lock, said “We are…disappointed that IMG would move its event to the same time, potentially compromising the Australian fashion industry…LMFF firmly believes there is enough room in the calendar year for IMG’s business to flourish elsewhere…Dividing designer and media attention does not make sense. We should be working together to strengthen Australian fashion on the world stage which is what it’s all about.”
I asked fashion authority Patty Huntington for a balanced take on it all. She says "MBFWA had to move…let's not forget that IMG has not yet announced its exact dates for 2013. The dates could be at the end of LMFF, so the fashion caravan heads from one event to the other – as it does in the northern hemisphere at show time, from New York to London, Milan and Paris. I don't see why this would be such a bad idea. It could provide an added incentive to international buyers to come down, to see two markets in the one trip. Irrespective of the season on the runway in Melbourne, it's still good exposure for those designers, and buyers like to make new discoveries on trips like this."
– Julie Roulston
PS: yes, Colin Mathura-Jeffree’s 40th was sensational. I had such a good time that: I was nice to someone I regret being nice to; I carefully called Chris (Sam from Marvel’s partner) Johnny all night; I half promised to do something I don’t want to, and I stamped my foot when my partner said it was time to leave. As for the rest – if you didn’t read Spy, you’ll have to wait for the women’s magazines in early June. As I told you last week, the images are embargoed.