Karen Walker will plough export win back into shows

By FIONA HAWTIN

One of the country's most acclaimed fashion brands has won the inaugural Fashion Week Export Growth Award.

Karen Walker's win was announced at the gala dinner officially opening the Air New Zealand-sponsored Fashion Week.

She will use the prize - four Air New Zealand business class tickets worth up to $32,000 and five nights' accommodation in any two Hilton hotels worldwide - to support her next two shows during London Fashion Week next February and September.

Walker is no stranger to business class travel: "It's all about being up the front when you're in fashion."

She has been showing in London for some time, attracting a strong fan base - pop star Bjork bought a dress from London's b store recently - and always intended to be there in 2005.

"It's all budgeted into our systems.

"Obviously, something like this eases the pain. It'll be more walking-around money."

Walker will use the prize to take a designer with her in February and possibly a different one in September who is ready to export but has not yet done so. Attendance will give them a chance to make contacts.

She will talk to Fashion Week managing director Pieter Stewart and Air New Zealand staff before deciding who to take.

"We've been exporting for seven years now and have 120 doors in 45 cities and we're starting to export our other product lines as well - the jewellery, denim and menswear - and we're about to do eyewear, and will be exporting that also.

"We've learned a lot about exporting and it seems an exciting thing to be able to share that with somebody who can make the most of it."

The export award is open to all labels showing at Fashion Week. Second prize of two business-class tickets worth up to $16,000 went to Insidious Fix's export potential.

The Auckland knitwear label is in 60 stores nationwide, does well in Australia and has previously been stocked in London and Los Angeles.

Designer Kylee Davis and business partner Jason Crawford want to increase exports to Australia. They will use the prize to target key retailers, distributors and agents in London, Los Angeles and Tokyo.

"We need to grow our business in the northern hemisphere because, being a knit business, we specialise in winter and want to have winter knitwear going through our factory all year round."

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