Fashion no shows

Pieter Stewart. Photo / NZ Herald

World is among the high-profile designers considering whether they can afford to mount a show at this year's New Zealand Fashion Week.

Many designers are reluctant to take part, citing the difficulty of finding sponsors, the cost of putting on a show and the limited financial return.

World co-founder Denise L'Estrange-Corbet, who returned to Fashion Week last year after a three-year hiatus, said they were unlikely to show this time.

"There's not enough international interest at New Zealand Fashion Week for us. We put on very big shows and there's a recession and we have to decide where we're going to put our money."

Australian Fashion Week, which ended in Sydney on Friday, was 15 per cent smaller than last year. Its Kiwi counterpart will be held in Auckland from September 21-25, with Air New Zealand the major sponsor once more.

Zambesi and Trelise Cooper have confirmed their participation but fellow big-hitters Karen Walker and Kate Sylvester are undecided.

Hong Kong-based glamour queen Yvonne Bennetti won't be showing, preferring a small private show a month earlier.

She said an intimate event with select clientele was more likely to boost sales than a high-profile show for 1200 or 1400 people.

"In these economic times you have to be quite smart and resourceful in how you do your PR and show your collection."

Young Auckland designer Juliette Hogan has done Fashion Week for the past three years but won't be making it four in a row.

"I'd love to be able to show if I had a money tree, but I think it's wise for me to be a little bit more conservative for the next six to 12 months."

Helene Morris from Lonely Hearts said her label hasn't made a final decision, but "we're not entirely sure Fashion Week is for us this year".

"It's a great opportunity to do a show but it is a pretty big investment, especially for a small label."

Marc Moore from Stolen Girlfriends Club said the exposure his label gains through Fashion Week is very important, but estimates the cost of putting on a show is at least $20,000.

Moore says he and his fellow designers haven't decided whether they will show this year, but he advised young designers to take part, despite the expense.

L'Estrange-Corbet, who started World with Francis Hooper in 1989, says Fashion Week wouldn't be a priority if she was launching today.

"If I was a young designer starting out, I think I'd put all my money into getting my own store. You've got to put your feet in the water, rather than dive in head first," she says.

"A lot of young designers think it's really glamorous but it's not like that. No one in the fashion industry has money to splash around. I don't care who they are and how famous and fabulous they think they are - they just don't."'

Fashion Week managing director Pieter Stewart said she isn't concerned at the prospect of designer numbers being down this year.

"There's always some that do and some that don't. We've just got to make sure that we've got options for them. They all want to continue promoting but they might not all be able to do a show."

Stewart says there will be new options this year to allow designers to take part at less cost, including more on-site showrooms and a post-show showroom for buyers.