by coutorture
We thought you might want to know. Australia Fashion Week is positioned toward the end of the Fall shows (though it’s Spring/Summer because they are in the Southern Hemisphere), just before Cruise season gets underway. It’s decidedly cult for fashionistas in America, one of the only times when downtown trendsetters actually stop and listen to what the fashion world is telling them they should wear. With brands like Sass & Bide, Lover, and Ksubi these young trendy things know that what’s coming out of Australia at a contemporary price point is what they can count on seeing in boutiques like Opening Ceremony and on ecommerce sites like La Garconne. 
Where New York Fashion Week is something of an indulgence for market editors from mainstream magazines, Australia Fashion Week is an indulgence for downtown kids with style prowess. It’s a ‘which came first’ kind of situation (because those market editors will also be watching the downtown kids for what trends might hit the mall in 3 or 4 years—remember that even style ‘icons’ like certain waif like faux celebrities are wearing year-old trends from the pockets of this city) but one that, without a doubt, is in an Aussie’s favor. When did this relationship begin? It’s difficult to say, for sure though, the popularity of Aussies in America picked up when resort season did. Because the seasons are reversed, American retailers started buying more and more from these designers as an alternative to buying resort. Particularly for more fashion-forward boutiques, the Aussie’s offered straight forward Summer clothes, when many designers were putting out resort collections that were a bit, well, heavy on concept. Check out our many Australia Fashion Week galleries and reviews for more on the little fashion week with a lot of clout.
