Three local fashion designers leave for Indonesia today to showcase their work in Jakarta as part of South Australia’s trade and business delegation to South East Asia.
Monday night’s South Australian dinner event for leading investors, fashion buyers and influential business identities, will feature the designs of South Australia’s Acler (represented by Julia Ritorto), Paige Rowe and SIG The Label (Kate Anderson). Additional pieces from fellow South Australian labels Naomi Murrell, Casper+Pearl, Pari and Tiff Manuell will also be included.
A second parade will be staged on Wednesday in Bandung, the capital of Indonesia’s West Java province.
The parades are an opportunity to showcase and introduce these creative South Australians to millions across South East Asia.
While in Indonesia as part of the trade and business delegation, the South Australian designers will also tour local textile and manufacturing facilities in Indonesia and Vietnam, forming important connections that will potentially assist with the growth of their respective labels.
Background
Regular missions to South East Asia are part of South Australia’s plan to strengthen relationships in the region. The current trade and business program includes site visits, networking events, business stream-specific programs and high-level political and business meetings led by the Minister.
On this design component, the State Government has worked closely with the Adelaide Fashion Festival and the South Australian Tourism Commission to curate the fashion event to help build the designers’ profile and connections in South East Asia.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Investment and Trade Martin Hamilton-Smith
South Australia’s fashion scene is building an international reputation for its world-class design.
Indonesia is an attractive market for textiles and clothing because of its robust economic growth and rising purchasing power.
There are mutual opportunities for growth and for our creative and talented designers to enter the marketplace.
Business missions like this play an important role in deepening our understanding of what opportunities exist for South Australian organisations and how we can best pursue them.
Quotes attributable to Adelaide Fashion Festival creative director Chris Kontos
These designers are among Adelaide’s new frontier of fashion and are motivated, inspired businesswomen who are building their labels independently.
The international exposure this trade mission will provide is invaluable at this early stage brand development. Both countries are important hubs of textile production and manufacturing favoured by many of Australia’s top designers.
The Adelaide Fashion Festival is excited to be supporting this initiative and providing added opportunity for the local fashion industry to expand and interact with key stakeholders.