Introducing ELLE's Fashion Now

This week, ELLE is launching a global intiative to find and celebrate the world's best new fashion designers, and you're invited to have your say! 46 edition of ELLE from around the world have each nominated their country's most promising rising design talent, with the overall winner to be voted by you, dear readers.
                                       

ELLE Australia selected sisters Beth and Tessa Macgraw from Macgraw for the honour of representing our nation on this global platform, adding yet another feather to their already rather full fashion-award cap.

ELLE's fashion director Rachel Wayman said of the decision "Australian label Macgraw embraces the joy of the feminine, fun, fashion extrovert. Designers and sisters, Beth and Tessa Macgraw mix lace, frills, bows and ruffles in a modern way that has attracted the attention of Australian and internationa celebrities alike."

The scale of the tragedy was such that the world could no longer turn a blind eye to the people who make our clothes, often in substandard conditions in some of the poorest countries. And many are paid below what is considered a living wage in their respective countries, meaning they are unable to lift themselves and their families out of the poverty cycle.

The Fashion Revolution movement and organisation was set up in the aftermath of Rana Plaza, with more than 80 countries involved in its message of ethical fashion production, and this week marks Fashion Revolution Week. The overriding message is to urge consumers to ask a simple question of the brands they wear: Who made my clothes?

A look at the role of fashion critics today

Cathy Horyn panned Maria Grazia Chiuri’s fall 2017 show for Dior, noting that her “designs didn’t pull weight” and that she effectively “took the air out of” the house’s famous Bar jacket. She wrote that she had a “beef with Chiuri” — though it had vague foundations, having something to do with a lack of surprise in Chiuri’s designs.

This negativity may be part of Horyn’s schtick, but it runs through other critics’ reviews, as well.

Robin Givhan, of The Washington Post, tends toward drier digs, as with her latest take on Olivier Rousteing’s Balmain: “Consider his fall collection to be a sort of African road trip with ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ blaring from the speakers and huge bags of Cheetos and Doritos piled in the back seat of the Range Rover for snacking.”

An unwelcome question
Robin Givhan was initially frustrated by the question of what a fashion critic’s role is today. “The title ‘fashion critic’ seems to create all kinds of tension, paranoia and concern among people,” she said. The industry might be changing, she added, but the essence of her job remains the same: “to report the news of the industry and look at it with a critical eye.”

Vanessa Friedman agreed, explaining what to her is obvious: “I think a critic’s role has always been to act as [an] interpreter between designer and consumer. That means you bring to it a certain amount of historical and contemporary context. You provide the framework for how people think about clothes.”

The retail response
Paying more attention to what works in retail certainly seems like the practical choice. But perhaps said retailers look to critics’ reviews when shopping for their stores?

Ken Downing, the fashion director and senior vice president of Neiman Marcus, doesn’t. “I’m of the belief that too many opinions cloud your decision-making process and can lead you in a direction that might not be appropriate for your customers,” he said. “I’m not interested in their opinions because I have my own opinion, and I’m really thinking about what’s going to be best for my stores.”

Critics as conduit
Robin Givhan, for her part, said it behooves retailers “to look at a variety of sources of information,” including reviews, “to get the best and most well-rounded sense of a brand’s footprint in the industry.” She also noted that those reviews make up a mere 10 percent of her workload.

How the global giants are squeezing out Australian fashion

It's been a bloody few weeks for Australia's apparel sector as retail's killing season claimed its annual bounty of weak and weary brands.
                                     

Four national apparel chains have collapsed in just two weeks and insolvency specialists claim the combination of rising costs and weak or falling sales have pushed a number of other, prominent fashion chains onto the endangered list.

The carnage of the last fortnight follows the collapse of kids clothing chain Pumpkin Patch as well as Payless Shoes at the end of last year. It's sharpened the focus on Australia's mid-market fashion chains and the immense challenges facing this broad swathe of the retail market.

The storm clouds that gathered over Australia's apparel sector in the past 12 months weren't just the result of the unpredictable weather conditions.

Winter arrived late on the eastern seaboard and then the chilly start to spring forced fashion retailers to cut prices again to move stock.

International fast-fashion superstars like Zara and H&M have taken hundreds of millions of dollars in sales out Australia's apparel sector, leaving long-established brands subsisting on the thinnest of margins and vulnerable to even minor shifts in spending.

JP Morgan analyst Shaun Cousins said the globalisation of Australian retail was most apparent in apparel and it had left domestic chains vulnerable to even relatively small market fluctuations.

Zara's sales in Australia have retreated from their initial "elevated levels", according to Macquarie Wealth Management, but along with Japanese giant Uniqlo and H&M these three brands captured $600 million in Australian apparel sales last year.

Macquarie reports that margins are under pressure at all three of the international chains, but they're still driving sales growth through new store openings and squeezing domestic chains out of the market.

What a fashion buyer thinks you should invest in for work in 2017

Finding the inspiration to get dressed successfully every morning can be a challenge even for the most sartorially astute. So to save you time and pain we’ve quizzed My Chameleon owner, Giselle Farhat on the must-have buys for the working year ahead.
               

What pieces should every woman look to invest in 2017 for work?
1. "A pant suit in a cool grey,
2. A sharp tailored jacket that sits past the hip either single button or double breasted with a wide leg pant or straight cropped pant,
3. The tailored dress with a T-shirt sleeve that finishes just at the knee,
4. A neck tie in silk ivory or classic black,
5. The bold striped shirt with a hint of colour.”

What advice do you have for approaching 2017 with a fresh eye when getting dressed in the morning?
“Start with an open mind and look at incorporating other elements of your wardrobe into your ‘corporate’ attire, whether it be colour, a print or more prominent details such as a bellowed sleeved shirt. Corporate wear doesn’t need to be mundane - we should feel comfortable, confident and fresh.”

Talk us through the thought process you go through when getting dress in the morning.
“My approach to dressing is simple, it is dictated by how I feel in the morning and the weather.  It is also important that I dress appropriately for the day ahead.”

What accessories should one invest in for work?
“Subtle earrings that can be worn back with any look - round stud or small drop earrings. A chic black bag with minimal hardware should be big enough to hold a laptop and other daily essentials.”

Are there are rules you think people should follow for work wear dressing?
“Take note of your working environment and industry, in my view it is always better to be more formally dressed than too casual, it shows thought and professionalism. Keep a pair of heels in your office drawer for emergencies. Avoid see-through pieces and even miniskirts. Wear dresses and skirts that are tailored but not tight.”

Yellow wins the gold in the fashion stakes at Werribee Cup

Fillies and fashion dominated at Werribee racecourse on Sunday for the annual Werribee Cup.
               

More than 4000 people frocked and suited up to see the Darren Weir-trained High Church storm to Werribee Cup victory during the eight-race meeting.

Meanwhile, there were fascinators, gloves and heels galore for the annual Fashions on the Field competition.

Geelong’s Peta Bell took out the ladies’ open division with a yellow Thurley slip dress with lace overlay, matching fascinator by Admelda and contrasting pink accessories and lipstick.

Ms Bell, 26, said she had taken part in a number of Fashions on the Field competitions in the past year and taken out top spot in fashions at Dunkeld, Colac and Yarra Valley meets.

“I wasn’t expecting to win at all,” she said.

“I’m a little bit overwhelmed. [My dress] is a nice, bright colour, especially in summer and spring.”

Luke Perkins impressed the judges with his navy suit and fedora to take out the menswear section; Joy Erkine won for ‘most elegant hat’; and young Werribee resident Xavier Pedulla was ‘best dressed child’.

Fashions on the Field organiser Heather Marcus said she was impressed by the calibre of entrants.

“We had some extremely high-quality entrants,” she said.

“What the judges were looking for is the complete outfit: the dress, the hat, the shoes, the gloves and the fit.”

Werribee Racing Club manager Glenn Scott said following two successful years, the Werribee Cup would be held each year on the second Sunday of December.

The next Werribee Racing Club meeting is on January 27.