Inaugurated in 1996 by Australian Fashion Innovators Pty Ltd (member of The Lock Group of companies headed by Simon P. Lock), Mercedes Australian Fashion Week is Australia's premier fashion event showcasing the work of Australia's top fashion designers before local and international buyers and media. Simon Lock's intention was to place Australian fashion on the international fashion week circuit alongside London, Milan, Paris and New York. The core of the event is the designer collection shows and exhibition. These bring together Australia's leading fashion designers in a week of parades designed to attract new markets for Australian fashion and provide a more critical platform from which to assess the work of local designers. Since 1997 designers from the Asia-Pacific region have also been invited to participate in the parades and exhibition. An accompanying festival program allows the general public to take part in exhibitions and events associated with fashion week.

A variety of designers ranging from the avant-garde to classic present their collections in individual and group parades most of which are held on site at Fox Studios. Mercedes Australian Fashion Week has been instrumental in promoting and professionalising the Australian fashion industry through the high standard of presentation and the increasingly critical eye of the fashion media who present daily reports on the event. In addition the presence of international media and buyers has ensured Australian fashion is viewed in the context of international design, discouraging copyists and encouraging original and independent designers. The opening of the market to international boutiques has allowed limited production, independent designers to flourish.

The Mercedes Australian Fashion Week archive comprises videotapes of all the individual designer and group parades, 35 mm colour transparencies of each designer's range on the catwalk, delegate package as well as media coverage from both electronic and print media. It documents the organisation, production and marketing of Australia's major fashion event and forms an important record of the work of Australia's top fashion designers. The images and media reportage put into context the current state of Australian fashion design from both a local and international perspective.

The archive was compiled by Simon P Lock and Australian Fashion Innovators Pty Ltd, the organising body for Mercedes Australian Fashion Week. (Simon P Lock is the Founder and Managing Director of Mercedes Australian Fashion Week). The company employs a team of professionals from various fields to design, film and photograph the event.



The archive was compiled by Simon P Lock and his team at Australian Fashion Innovators Pty Ltd, the organising body for Mercedes Australian Fashion Week.

The video footage and photographs are produced by a variety of photographers, camera operators and producers contracted by Australian Fashion Innovators.

The various components of the archive are used for recording as well as promoting the event to sponsors, the media and buyers.


1999-2000

The video footage and 35mm slides are used by national and international buyers after the shows to record items of interest for their retail outlets. They are also used by national and international media to report on Mercedes Australian Fashion Week.

Various components of the archive, in particular the video footage, media coverage and transparencies are used by Australian Fashion Innovators to document and promote the next years event to buyers, media and sponsors.

The archive was compiled by Australian Fashion Innovators for donation to the Powerhouse Museum as a record of Australia's premier fashion event. This is an ongoing program with each year's archive coming to the Museum after Australian Fashion Innovators have finished using its various components for record and promotional purposes.

Archive, Mercedes Australian 1999 Fashion Week, videos, transparencies, bound reports, delegate bag and package, paper/ plastic/ film, designed, made and used by Australian Fashion Innovators to record and promote Mercedes Australian Fashion Week, also used by designers, media and sponsors involved in event, Sydney, Australia, 1999-2000

Mercedes Australian Fashion Week archive 1999, comprising Betacam and VHS tapes of individual and group designer collection shows, folders containing 35mm colour transparencies of each designers range photographed on the catwalk, a Mercedes Australian Fashion Week delegate bag and delegate package, folders and videos of electronic and print media coverage of the event.

Made: Australian Fashion Innnovators; Sydney, New South Wales; 1999 - 2000

2001/91/1

1999 - 2000