Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2008
WELCOME TO THE VERY FIRST FASHION FILES FOR 2008!
Believe it or not we’re only 3 months away from this year’s Air New Zealand Fashion Week! With the new year comes a number of exciting changes that will help Fashion Week 2008 reach even greater heights than ever before, and we'll of course be bringing back some of your favourite parts of the Event!
The venue for Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2008 will again be the picturesque Viaduct Harbour Marine Village on Auckland's waterfront - buyers, media, designers, models and fashion-lovers alike will be enjoying one of the city's best views while they're enjoying the country's best new fashion for Autumn/Winter 09!
WE SAY G'DAY TO AUSSIE DESIGNERS
For the first time ever Air New Zealand Fashion Week is opening up the runway to Australian fashion designers and inviting them to show their latest designs as part of the Autumn/Winter 2009 Collections. A number of Australia’s leading and up and coming designers are in talks with Air New Zealand Fashion Week and organizers are expecting media, buyers and fashion industry alike to welcome this as an exciting move in Fashion Week history!
Director Pieter Stewart comments on the new initiative - ”We now see many New Zealand designers successfully exporting in Australia and using Rosemount Australian Fashion Week as a platform to showcase their ranges. So we hope that opening up our Fashion Week will support our Australian counterparts to achieve the same successes,” she says.
A NEW YEAR MEANS A NEW TEAM
Earlier this year long term staff member Raquel Simpson left the Fashion Week team and departed on her OE. Stepping into her shoes Erin Stewart moved into the role of Brand and Online Coordinator and left her role as Administrative Assistant open for new staff member Christine Kitching. The final addition to the team came in the form of a Public Relations Manager. Anna Jobsz was appointed to handle all Air New Zealand Fashion Week publicity and sponsor relations, following a strategic move to restructure PR from consultancy to inhouse. Cathy Campbell will continue to work with the team on Public Relations strategy and will run the Media Centre at Fashion Week.
PARTNERS SET TO ROCK
We’ve already signed up a number of exciting partners for Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2008 and the list is set to grow as we complete partner negotiations during June. Most of 2007’s Event partners are returning for more Fashion Week action, while a brand new contingent will keep things fresh and vibrant for 2008. Two weeks ago many of 2008’s confirmed partners joined the Fashion Week team at the new Westin Hotel to take part in a Partnership leveraging seminar which encouraged everyone to think about creative and effective ways in which they can benefit from their Air New Zealand Fashion Week involvement. The seminar was led by Brand Manager Myken Stewart and included talks by a diverse range of sponsorship specialists - Fiona Leung (a highly experienced Australian Fashion Events and Sponsorship guru currently heading National Australia Bank’s Sponsorship team); Tony Thomas (Team New Zealand Sponsorship Manager) and Mark Pickering (Ambient X Leveraging Expert).
THE STYLISH NEW PLACE TO HANG YOUR HAT
We’re proud to announce The Westin Hotel as our brand new hotel partner for Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2008. This exciting new relationship sees the luxurious surroundings of the Westin Hotel playing temporary home to many international buyers and media during the big Week. It will also become the venue of choice for our designer and partner media launch in July and with its stunning restaurant, bar area, café, observatory space and ambient waterside decks, The Westin will no doubt be a popular and well populated spot during Fashion Week.
WELCOME 'AIR NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEKEND'
We welcome the new name “Air New Zealand Fashion WeekEND” which replaces last years ANZFW 4 U title for the public access event to be held directly after the trade week on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September. This year’s event will follow last year’s successful formula, with a great combination of catwalk fashion in the Designer Selection Shows and Season Preview Shows, products and tips to have you looking your best in the Beauty Zone, hands-on fashion fun in the Rumpus Room area, a fabulous selection of live music and entertainment, plus the usual restaurant, café and bar areas. ZM will be back in support of the Season Preview Shows and are promising plenty of competitions, promotions and onsite broadcasts; stay tuned for updates! Everyone’s favourite bargain hunt is back (and bigger!) due to huge demand - the New Zealand Herald Designer Garage Sale will again feature heavily discounted clothing and accessories from many of New Zealand’s top fashion designers.
MAKING THE CUT!
The Air New Zealand Fashion Week selection panel is currently working through designer applications for this year’s big event. Both New Zealand and Australian designer applications are being considered, and the all-important announcement to media and industry of who will be showing will take place in mid July.