DHL picks up some more catwalk action

By GEORGINA BOND


As New Zealand's top fashion designers prepare for this month's Fashion Week, their key sponsors are looking at the event for branding opportunities.

While several marketing partnerships between fashion houses and car companies are well recognised, this year's event, sponsored by Air New Zealand, will bring at least one unusual pairing - Hart Manufacturing and global express and logistics company DHL.

Last month, the company announced it was the major sponsor for Hart's Vamp show, one of five key labels in the 30-year-old company's stable.

For the express delivery giant, the sponsorship is part of a global strategy to align its brand with fashion - one of the fastest growing of the company's five major accounts.

DHL NZ global customer solutions manager Kim Schofield said the company wanted to be involved in the fashion industry.

With a number of initiatives developed to support fashion, Schofield said DHL saw its sponsorship of fashion weeks around the world as an opportunity to develop its position as an industry specialist.

New Zealand's position at the bottom of the world meant its garments were among those that needed to travel the greatest distances to key export markets, and this had required innovation to get them there in top quality.

A specialised hanging garment service, which saw garments transported hanging from factory to the shop floor, was developed primarily for Hart and had now been introduced in other parts of the world.

Since the launch of DHL's transtasman aircraft 11 years ago, Hart's garments are now delivered to Australia overnight - often quicker than the time it took Australia-manufactured garments to arrive in store.

"The fashion industry moves fast, so garments need to move in line with that as well," said Schofield.

Hart Manufacturing marketing and design manager Susie Walker said DHL's sponsorship had enabled the company to put on a bigger show for a larger target audience than in previous years.

Schofield said although the sponsorship of Hart was primarily about nurturing an important customer, she hoped DHL would also benefit from Hart's stronger presence in fashion week, through additional export orders.

Although DHL, which is also a co-sponsor for Trelise Cooper and Jane Rhodes, has been involved in Fashion Week in various forms before, Schofield said this time the brand would be more "out-front".

It was also an opportunity to build brand awareness with other emerging fashion exporters - and win the hearts and minds of New Zealanders.

Herald Feature: Fashion Week

NZ Fashion Week