PA/33/13 10 October 2013
Australian fashion a smashing success at Fashion Week
The Australian cultural festival Oz Fest opened last night with a dazzling display of Australian fashion at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.
The main feature of the night was a stunning runway show showcasing the work of cutting edge Australian design duo Romance Was Born, presented in collaboration with the Australian social enterprise Artisans of Fashion. Some of the pieces included the famous brocade work done by Varanasi silk weavers, which connects local craftspeople to the world of international fashion.
The Australian High Commissioner to India, Mr Patrick Suckling, also made the big announcement that the renowned Indian designer Manish Arora will travel to Australia later this month to do collaborative work on 26 October 2013.
“Sydney will welcome Manish Arora and his team on October 26 to do a reciprocal runway show of his SS Paris Collection 2014, and also to display some of his classic designs incorporating Indian craftwork” said Mr Suckling.
“We want to encourage more collaboration between Indian and Australian designers, and bringing Manish to Sydney will help us stoke creative fires on both sides of the Indian Ocean!”
Manish Arora said “I’m delighted to be travelling to Australia to present my work and explore creative synergies with local designers. Australia has got a great depth of design talent, and I can’t wait to see what design and business opportunities emerge.”
The Australian cricket icon Brett Lee also launched a new collection of Woolmark-certified 100 per cent Australian Merino wool scarves, hand-loomed by the Panchachuli Women Weavers in the Himalayas.
Brett Lee said “This collection is not about charity, it’s about exposing the wonderful work these weavers do to a bigger market. I hope this brand will really resonate in India.”
Manish Arora will be flying to Australia on flights provided by Singapore Airlines.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Artisans of Fashion with this first-of-its- kind partnership for Singapore Airlines in India. This initiative brings a whole new meaning to being “fashion conscious,” said the General Manager of Singapore Airlines—India, Mr Giamming Toh.
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