Interview

What media want you to know about working with them for Fashion Week

Ahead of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week later this month, Telum Media spoke with some of the leading journalists and editors covering one of the year's biggest media events about what PRs and journalists should know about covering the craziness of the catwalks.

Read how best to join the conversation around Fashion Week here.

Telum clients can also:
  • Check out how to quickly build a media list of all the Australian Fashion Editors.
  • Learn how to build a list of all the Fashion Desks at the major publications around Australia.
  • Search the Telum News page for all the latest moves, news and Telum events in the fashion sector.

Lauren Sams, Fashion Editor, The Australian Financial Review

Why is Fashion Week important to the fashion industry?
2020 was an annus horribilis for most of us, and the fashion industry was not immune to its effects. Retail closures, suspended supply chains, brands collapsing, private equity leaving certain brands - and of course, the cancellation of what would have been Australian Fashion Week's 25th anniversary celebrations. It was a blow, and it makes this year even more important.

Fashion Week is sort of like a deb ball for the industry - it's a coming out party, to remind everybody who you are and what you do. It is staged at enormous expense but it also generates millions of dollars in tourism, export and manufacturing and as such, it's an incredibly significant moment for the industry. 

And this year, AFW has a new sponsor in Afterpay, which is such a boon to the event and cause for much excitement. Having a retail partner who understands technology is an important step for the event and one that will truly modernise it. 

Finally, Afterpay Australian Fashion Week will be the world's first live fashion week since Milan was shut down in February 2020. All eyes will be on Australian design - how lucky are we?

What does Fashion Week look like for you?
Quite busy, I'd imagine. Invitations have begun to trickle into my inbox and with a very full schedule, I'm hoping to see as much as I can - particularly new talent like Jordan Dalah and the Changemakers' showcase. I'll be reporting from Carriageworks and finding stories that work for our audience of business leaders. 

What should people know about Fashion Week if people haven’t been to one before?
It really is pretty fabulous. Being able to see, up close, the sheer creativity we have in this country is mindblowing - and not just the designers, but stylists, hair and makeup, set designers, lighting designers, publicists. There are a lot of people responsible for ensuring the success of Fashion Week, and they do a marvellous job. We really do punch well above our weight in this country.

When / how should brands get in touch with you about Fashion Week?
Email me, please and thank you
Katarina Kroslakova, Editor, T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine

Why is Fashion Week important to the fashion industry?
It's our biggest annual showcase - and we all know it's been an extremely challenging time for the local fashion industry, so these events are simply essential to maintain momentum and presence. Before it was cancelled last year due to Covid-19, Fashion Week was attracting premium overseas buyers, so more than anything we need to keep that interest going and secure overseas distribution and wholesale deals for our local designers.

 What does Fashion Week look like for you?
Look, it's madness, I'm not going to lie. We also have a T Australia event a few days after Fashion Week, so I will be that loser with her laptop in the dark corner, in between shows. It's early starts, and late nights. I can't see all the shows, but I do attend every day. I'm looking forward to it - it will be so nice to see colleagues and industry friends, and of course see how the last 12 months has influenced designers' creativity.

What should people know about Fashion Week if people haven’t been to one before?
The pecking order of seating plans makes for fascinating viewing. You'll see fashion editors sitting next to reality TV "stars" and sometimes it ain't pretty. Also, pack a snack. You'll get hungry, thirsty, grumpy, but you'll love every minute of it. All the shows runs late - despite organisers' best efforts. I remember in my first year of covering it, I interviewed Alex Perry backstage while he was still ironing his frocks and Napoleon was applying models' eyeliner - this was well over an hour late after the scheduled start time, and no-one was concerned. Fashionably late, I guess! I am a stickler for punctuality so I was horrified. 
 
When / how should brands get in touch with you about Fashion Week?
Our best email address is gday@taustralia.com.au as that gets distributed to all our necessary teams. Our Insta account is @tmagazineau and we respond pretty quickly to requests and messages too.  
Melissa Hoyer, Style & Entertainment Editor-at-Large, news.com.au

Why is Fashion Week important to the fashion industry?
It is a great week to consolidate and highlight the young and fresh as well as the more established names in our fashion industry. This year particularly is an important one as the industry has suffered post COVID and he needs as much support from the media and public as possible.

What does Fashion Week look like for you?
I will be going to some of the shows - not all to be totally honest - as I will be covering the shows I attend mainly on a social media level as well as doing wraps for radio & hopefully, TV.

What should people know about Fashion Week if people haven’t been to one before?
I think people have to remember it is an "industry" event - as in many of the clothes on the runways will be coming into the stores later this year and not necessarily ready to buy right now. That said, I think it is a good initiative that fashion week organisers have opened some of the shows to the public and anyone can buy tickets to see some of the shows. It doesn’t make the week elitist!

When / how should brands get in touch with you about Fashion Week?
Email is always the best way as otherwise there are too many direct messages or comments my social media platforms... and it gets a little confusing! 
Damien Woolnough, Leading fashion editor and writer

What does Fashion Week look like for you?

Pretty depressing without Carla Zampatti, but fashion is about change and there is some new talent I’m keen to take a look at. Considering the circumstances I think that this year’s schedule offers strong excitement and some great opportunities to engage with established brands and the next generation. 

When I was at Vogue and The Australian I was at shows back-to-back for the entire week but this time I will picking and choosing more carefully.  As well as the shows it’s a great chance to catch up with stylists, photographers and fellow writers.

What should people know about Fashion Week (in terms of the way you cover it) if people haven’t been to one before?
There are so many ways to cover it. You have people who are only interested in the front row and others who are after the most Instagrammable images of side-boob. I prefer to look at shows in the content of a designer’s career and the environment. I’m not there for scandal, I want to see the next Romance Was Born, Dion Lee, or Tsubi (without the rats). I’m interested in why the label is taking part in Fashion Week, what they are hoping to accomplish and whether they achieve it.

When / how should brands get in touch with you about Fashion Week?
Email damienwoolnough@me.com or look for me trying to make Glynis Traill-Nash from The Australian laugh in the front row.
 

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Telum Media

Database

Journalists
Katarina Kroslakova

Editor

Melissa Hoyer

Freelance Writer

Lauren Sams

Fashion Editor

Damien Woolnough-Reid

Style Editor

Media
Telum Media

1 contact, 122 media requests

The Australian Financial Review

31 contacts, 36 media requests

news.com.au

15 contacts, 12 media requests

T Australia

8 contacts

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