Archive for the ‘ LMFF 2010 Events ’ Category
Body Image Forum – Gorgi Coghlan
Gorgi Coghlan lead the panel discussion at the LMFF Body Image Forum. She provided the following reflection on the event.
“I’m feeling really inspired after the LMFF Body Image forum. It was such a positive night that resulted in some wonderfully constructive ideas to help promote positive body image within the fashion industry and community at large.
It was really refreshing to hear from modelling casting agents, professionals who work with men and women affected by eating disorders and magazine editors that they’re are all eager to do more to promote positive body image within their fields.
One idea that I suggested is a national ‘I love my body day’ . It could be a day when men and women embrace their bodies and write down what they love about them. I’d love to push this day in schools and get young people to accept their differences, and realise that this is what makes them unique. We also spoke about a ‘Body journal’ where young people could express their concerns, write down what they love about their body and paste in cuttings of what they think a positive body image is.
Hopefully this forum has started the process of change in promoting a healthy body image in Australia, and our fashion industry could lead the world by initiating a much needed re-focus. I applaud the LMFF and Karen Webster for being brave and tackling this important issue.”
Author/pictured: Gorgi Coghlan
FASHION THAT FITS
We are very proud of our efforts to lead an industry discussion that confronts, challenges and congregates the Australia fashion industry. Last night LMFF hosted a gathering of representatives from all aspects of the Australian fashion industry. The forum focused on body image and the way it affects the Australian industry and consumers.
A panel representing industry experts in retail, media and the broader fashion community discussed the continuing challenge to create a unified approach to promote positive body image in Australia. The panelists included:
Karen Webster – Festival Director, L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival
Sarah Oakes – Editor, Cleo Magazine
Prue Thomas – Strategic Brand Manager, Sportsgirl
Matthew Anderson – Director/Melbourne Manager, Chadwick Management
Naomi Crafti – Community Development/Education Officer, Eating Disorders Foundation Victoria
The discussion was lead by Gorgi Coghlan from Network Ten’s The Circle and took place at ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) in Melbourne.
The forum was based on a simple premise: perceptions and issues around body image impact on us all and can be proactively addressed for the benefit of business and consumers alike. And we think we did just that. Key outcomes of the gathering included looking at the next steps we can all take to identify our responsibilities around the issue. We also ensured that we celebrated what positive initiatives individuals and businesses were taking and how we can follow their lead.
LMFF would like to thank all the participants of the forum including the panelist and host Gorgi Coghlan. LMFF’s Body Image Forum could not have been hosted without the support of the Victorian Government.
LMFF farewells Karen Webster
Karen Webster has been a mighty force as the longest serving member of the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival, having been a Board Director from its very inception and a much-loved Festival Director for the past five years. She herself describes the vast networks of staff and supporters as her “Festival Family” and this family gathered together last night to thank her for her dedication and passion in these, her last days as Festival Director.
Guests gathered at the stunning MiFA Gallery on Collins Street and enjoyed fantastic company, canapés and champagne in celebration of all that Karen has brought to the Festival and the relationships she has nurtured to achieve so much over the years.
L-R: Toni Maticevski, Karen Webster and Dhav Naidu
Peter Alexander and Karen Webster
Karen Webster during her speech
The LMFF Family including Mark Tucker and Laura Anderson (far left)
Yeojin Bae and Karen Webster
Photography: thanks to Lucas Dawson
Mobile musings
We caught up with Carol Barton of Mobile Muse, LMFF’s iPhone app partner, to chat about some of the recurring themes around technology, social media and innovation from the 2010 LMFF business events program.
Tell us a little about your background?
I spent the last decade in online community development for leading travel media companies Lonely Planet and BBC Worldwide.
I cut my teeth on the most challenged and challenging sectors of online; travel & publishing. User generated content, citizen journalism, rating, reviewing, the tyranny of transparency, content aggregation, crowd sourcing – you name it. Terrorism and natural disasters also played a huge role in changes to the business and humanitarian landscape. It was one of the most exciting, enlightening and exhausting periods of my career! During LMFF I sensed some in the fashion industry awakening to the prospect of a similar transition.
I now concentrate on mobile as it’s the fastest growing segment of online, with considerable opportunities.
There was quite a bit of talk about technology and social media. What’s your take?
LMFF did a great job of utilising blogs and micro blogging like Twitter, as well as social networks like Facebook. There’s such a passionate, invested community behind fashion and LMFF. That’s not something you can manufacture. Community respect is earned.
At an advanced level, social media is broader though and it’s also worth brands considering if their media, itself, is social. Are you still slapping a copyright clause over photos or are you adopting more of a ‘copyleft’ Creative Commons approach? Are you nurturing folksonomies – the communities’ way of describing and organising content? Have you opened up your content to allow users to mash it up in new and creative ways?
Authoritative content, married with the very best of user generated content and upcoming talent, is really the sweet spot. I agree with Paul Bennett’s comments about taking on a curatorial role. It’s still about quality over quantity.
LMFF produced an iPhone app. How did it go?
LMFF was the first fashion festival, globally, to produce its own iPhone app and should be commended for taking steps to explore ways of communicating on new and emerging platforms.
There’s now an Australian fashion presence in the burgeoning iTunes app store that didn’t exist previously. An alternate, global audience now has access to hundreds of established and up and coming Australian fashion designers. At the business seminar there was talk of small, iterative steps you can take to innovate – and that’s an example in action.
The app did very well and was recognised by Apple, who selected it to be featured in the app store promo spot. Of course there are always things to change and improve on, but LMFF are in a much better position to evolve their mobile strategy, based on learnings from this festival.
What are the advantages of mobile for retail?
There are 25 millions mobile phone subscriptions in Australia. That’s more than our population! The mobile market is growing at an alarming rate.
Mobile is much more personal. It tracks the behaviour of an individual, rather than that of a computer. It’s portable, it’s always on, it’s always with you.
The advent of smart phones with GPS and a compass allow you to start to bridge the gap between online and offline. If your mobile knows where you are, and knows where a store is, it can lead you straight there. If it knows what you’re looking for and what you like – even more powerful.
It’s not just about technology for technology’s sake. Rather than regurgitating your website for mobile (though many desperately need to make their websites optimised for mobile!), think about how a mobile may complement your communication and engagement strategy and at what touch points.
What developments are we likely to see in mobile?
It will be interesting to see what the mobile environment is like once 2011 LMFF comes around. There’s plenty brewing at the moment:
- Location and contextually aware services
- Augmented Reality – overlaying information onto the real world view you see through your camera view finder
- Greater use of m-commerce and alert systems
- Use of the mobile phone as a scanner, coupon and payment device
- Opportunities around the iPad, especially for magazines and catalogues
- Services for the mobile workforce, in the literal sense.
There are challenges of course; broadband costs, network speed and battery life. Location-aware services may also bring about certain privacy issues. We’ll also see new phones, more app ecosystems and large companies banding together to try to take market share away from Apple! It’s interesting times…
What’s next?
We’ll continue to update the app with designer profiles, their collections and stockist info to build out exposure for our designers and facilitate the connection between retailers and their consumers. The app may even morph into something else that is more relevant and practical for this post-festival phase.
We’re also working with more retailers and retail hubs to encourage them to build a presence on mobile.
Entry by Carol Barton, Mobile Muse visit www.mobile-muse.com.au
Highpoint – denim challenge
For the month of March, Highpoint has been a hub of fashion activity and their denim event today was no different.
beyondblue and Highpoint teamed up to present a unique denim fashion challenge which was also supported by Melbourne identities Jessica Rowe, Nathan Thomson, Tiffany Hall and Dylan Lewis.
Crowds gathered on Level 1 at Highpoint to watch the launch of the denim hub before reminiscing about the denim hits and misses of the last 60 years as they viewed, artist Jean-Pierre Biasol, Denim of the Decades Exhibition.
Author, Anna Riordan, Partnerships Executive
Designers’ House event
Gorgeous models skated around Designers’ House on Friday evening showcasing the latest autumn/winter trends from retailers including Little Joe, Tim O’Connor, Modern Lovers and JETS.
Loyalty card holders and new friends of Designers’ House were treated to a glass of bubbly while checking out the key season trends displayed in a magical Ice Wonderland Fashion Show.
No one left empty handed with Designers’ House giving away their exclusive key ring which entitles the recipient to a free Designers’ House membership whereby you receive exclusive discounts on all purchases, invitations and VIP seating at upcoming events.
Author, Anna Riordan, Partnerships Executive
L’Oréal Paris Runway 7
The feel of this group show was sleek, modern and fierce, styled by Caterina Scardino this was all captured – whilst still feeling effortless. A strong and established designer group this was such a polished runway!
Author, Geraldine Frater, Project Manager, L’Oréal Paris Runway 2010
Akira
Easton Pearson
Scanlan & Theodore
Tina Kalivas
Photos by Lucas Dawson www.lucasdawson.com.au
Livestyle Event
Not often do we get to spend some time shopping during Festival week! What fun we had popping into Livestyle to find some great one off samples and designer wears with massive discounts! Now we can workshop multiple outfits over the weekend!
Author, Chauntel Scarr, General Manager – Marketing and Communications
Business Seminar Cocktails
What a brilliant way to end an inspiring day – with a cocktail! Chambord hosted all the Business Seminar guests to cocktails at the gorgeous Sofi’s at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins. All guests had the chance to unwind after an invigorating day and chat about all teh amazing information they had just absorbed.
Author, Chauntel Scarr, General Manager – Marketing and Communications
BUSINESS SEMINAR
WOW my life has changed. I have never had such an incredible day of information and inspiration that has made me really think about how the world of fashion is moving forward. What a thrill to have experienced the 2010 LMFF Business Seminar. People like Sarah Curran (from mywardrobe.com) and Sojin Lee (from fashionair.com) have changed the way we experience fashion revolutionising fashion retail and media online. Paul Bennett is an agent provocateur and the world needs more people like him who turn our business worlds upside down. I was equally inspired by the charismatic Christian Blankaert who has challenged my perception of luxury. Finally what a delight to hear from the dynamic duo of fashion Malcolm Carfrae and Francisco Costa from Calvin Klein inspiring the audience with their humble brilliance.
Author, Karen Webster, Festival Director
Photos by Lucas Dawson www.lucasdawson.com.au
Fashion Collections – RENEGADES
The Renegades show is always a highlight of the Fashion Collections presented by the City of Stonnington. Featuring some favourites such as Chocolate City and Stevie and showcasing some new names such as From Britten, Luela, Rufus Green, Twichett & Tonge and Vanguard.
All designers were brilliant on the Runway with a beautiful opening from the label From Britten while Stevie as anticipated was a burst of colour and movement with fabulously fit and energetic dancers.
A highglight of the show was the vivacious Lee Lee who featured with the band Dirty Laundry performing her new track, Blowwaves.
Author, Jacelyn Hawkins, Project Manager, Fashion Collections
Chocolate City
From Britten
Stevie
Vanguard
Photos by Lucas Dawson www.lucasdawson.com.au