I’ve been keeping this close to my chest for a number of weeks, now, but finally the cat is out of the bag… IMG has anointed me as their official blogger for this year’s Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, which is frighteningly close (May 3, in fact). I’ve been handed the keys (well, passcode) to RAFW’s official Facebook page which will be the portal through which we’ll be sharing news, footage and buzz from the event.

It’s pretty huge to be given unfettered, AAA access to the biggest event on the Australian fashion calendar. I’ll be front row at at every show, tracking the trends, faces and highlights of the week on behalf of IMG. And I’m hoping that one of the highlights will be a pronounced focus on sustainable style. As I understand it, there are certain organisations and bodies getting involved this year and there may even be specific eco-ethical focused events and exhibits. Nothing confirmed as yet but I will be keeping a keen eye on developments.

I’m also fortunate enough to have a draft copy of the event schedule, one of the perks of the job. It is jam packed and still top secret, but I can reveal that a number of designers from the HowBigIsYourEco directory will be taking to the runway. It will be fascinating to see how they build on the work they’ve already established and to see which other designers on the schedule get smart about the clothes they make.

It’s phenomenal how technology—specifically blogging and tweeting—have come pretty much out of nowhere to become a dominant force at events like this. A couple of years ago, the biggest buzz was around Dita Von Teese’s front row appearances. Last year, the industry was in a frenzy at the attendance of Sartorialist Scott Schuman and fellow blogger Garance Doré. This year, at least three huge international fashion bloggers will be in attendance, all taking the traditionally hard-to-score front row seats. In fact, I believe that my appointment marks the first time in the event’s history that IMG has enlisted it’s own journalist to cover the event.

I’m secretly hoping that 2010 marks the start of a similar explosion in the sustainable fashion stakes. As the designers on this site prove, you don’t need to sheath yourself in hemp fisherman’s pants and tie-die tops to have a big eco—there are textiles and dyes and production methods that help lessen the impact the industry places on the planet. It’s about having the guts, the smarts and the support to find a solution. That means the industry and governments getting behind the issue and making sustainable design an affordable and realistic option for young designers.

Local designers are accustomed to being resourceful… they aren’t privvy to the massive markets and budgets that their European or American counterparts do. They must be innovative to survive. And so often I’ve heard people debate where Australian fashion fits in the world—how our warm climate and relaxed way of life can be relevant to the wardrobes of women in cities in the Northern Hemisphere. I think our lifestyle and geography makes us particularly aware of the environment and our innovative mindset gives us the chutzpah to be world leaders. Somehow the idea of Australia being at the forefront of sustainable chic just makes sense to me. It fits.

Being the 15th year of RAFW, the event has most definitely come of age. I’m certainly looking forward to it and would be thrilled to see our approach to the way things are done mature as well.

Matt
HowBigIsYourEco

 

• Matt muses: the green runway
• Matt Muses…on fashion and ethics
• Matt Muses: Retail madness
• RAFW next week
• Matt muses: Future fashion