In the face of the industry disruption caused by COVID 19, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) and global B2B virtual showroom platform, ORDRE.com, have come together to launch AFC Virtual on ORDRE. Fashion buyers from across Australia and the globe can now access new season’s wholesale collections from Australia’s leading designers on a dedicated section of the ORDRE.com platform; AFC VIRTUAL. Launching on the 11th May 2020, with waves of showroom additions, the platform will host the latest Resort collections from the likes of Aje, CAMILLA, Ginger & Smart, KITX, Strateas Carlucci, P.E Nation and more...
In the face of the industry disruption caused by COVID 19, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) and global B2B virtual showroom platform, ORDRE.com, have come together to launch AFC Virtual on ORDRE.
Fashion buyers from across Australia and the globe can now access new season’s wholesale collections from Australia’s leading designers on a dedicated section of the ORDRE.com platform; AFC VIRTUAL. Launching on the 11th May 2020, with waves of showroom additions, the platform will host the latest Resort collections from the likes of Aje, CAMILLA, Ginger & Smart, KITX, Strateas Carlucci, P.E Nation and more.
The impacts of Covid-19 have hit Australian designers hard. Fashion festivals and trade events have been cancelled, and limitations on physical contact with retail networks have made conducting business as usual near impossible. With this, virtual showrooms have taken on a new urgency. AFC Virtual on ORDRE offers a unique solution for Australian designers to present their collections to retailer buyers from afar, adopting a progressive technology that will enable Australian brands to thrive post-crisis.
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“Australian designers have a unique position in the world of fashion combining the best of our country’s lifestyle attributes, an unassuming stylish flare and an unwavering commitment to sustainability.We are very excited about the calibre and variety of brands that have chosen to embrace this initiative. AFC Virtual on ORDRE will showcase a unique curation of Australian brands ranging from globally recognised superstars to hidden gems of talent.”
Australian designers have always been first in the world to present Resort/Early-Summer collections on the international fashion week schedule. AFC Virtual on ORDRE plays to our industry’s strength and continues this tradition.
Whilst most European and American brands won’t be showing Resort/Early-Summer ranges until later in July, AFC Virtual on Ordre now offers buyers from across the globe a head start, allowing them to take advantage of early access to the Resort/Early-Summer collections from Australian brands this May.
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“David Jones is delighted that AFC Virtual on ORDRE will enable buyers to access the incredibly important resort collections in place of fashion week.We are looking forward to placing orders not only with our existing designers, but also looking for new opportunities and emerging talent as we would during this important timing each year.
Our commitment to the Australian fashion industry, the jobs it creates and the creativity it inspires, is more important now than ever.”
Images | Runway from Strateas Carlucci
Buyers will be able to view and engage with collections through a combination of high-resolution images including interactive ORB360° images, video, the ability to zoom in and detailed product descriptions.
Designed for easy navigation, the collections have been carefully curated from Australia’s leading designers with a focus on Resort and Early-Summer. Now only a few clicks away, in a section of the ORDRE.com platform called AFC Virtual, buyers can access the individual designer virtual showrooms to review collections, make selections and place wholesale orders - all online.
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““With the entire industry still in lockdown for May and June AFC Virtual on ORDRE will allow Australian retailers and designers to continue to do business. While wholesale orders are expected to be reduced on historical levels over this period there is still some optimising by retailers that they will require new stock deliveries when many retailers are hoping to return to more normal trading in October/November.”
The brands chosen for this initiative include some of Australia’s most promising up and coming labels through to well established brands - all demonstrating a strong brand story with reference to Australian culture and attitudes that cannot be replicated, a high quality finished product and a clear readiness to be stocked in some of the most well known retailers around the world.
Launched in 2016 by Adelaide based designer Sophia McMahon, Autark was founded as a response to both the needs of the modern woman and the wide-ranging impact of the fashion industry on the world.
Autark designs are striking, investment pieces created from the most luxurious of silks, cottons, linens and an array of natural fibers, that are carefully considered in their construction for maximum wearability and versatility.
Designed & made in Australia.
MASTANI, founded in 2018 by Kudrat Makkar, takes you on a journey into the world of the hands that made it, and the culture that shaped it.
MASTANI preserves and revitalises the designer’s own Indian cultural heritage through the brand, working with traditional techniques artisans have inherited from their ancestors.
With a focus on ethical and transparent production all garment construction is performed in house at the MASTANI Atelier, located in Bengaluru, India. Their artisans are masters in embellishment, hand looming, structure and contemporary silhouettes, bringing to life a blend of tradition and modernity, timelessness and uniqueness.
Translating to ‘we’ or ‘us,’ in a number of Aboriginal languages, Ngali seeks to create the “us” we’d like to see: a harmonious, sustainable and equitable union of people - all people - with the planet.
Immortalising 80,000 years of history and creativity through premium quality fashion, Ngali showcases the talent of remote Aboriginal artists by together translating their unique artwork on high-end clothing and collectibles.
Founder Denni Francisco, a proud Wiradjuri woman, says,“Art is a lens through which our people see, understand and communicate with others. I want people to know who we are, who we’ve always been...that there’s more to us than what is seen through the lens of 200 years of colonisation.”
Established in 2012 by Lis Harvey, NICO celebrates the sartorial philosophy of minimalism and understated luxury. NICO brings high quality loungewear and intimates to the Australian fashion landscape featuring clean lines, luxe fabrics and the styles and colours needed for the everyday. Form and function coexist with pieces that not only look beautiful, but feel beautiful to wear too.
NICO is renowned for a strong respect for the people they work with, and the environment they work within. NICO is committed to upholding and cultivating ethical and sustainable transparency in the fashion industry.
P.E NATION was concepted in Sydney, Australia by Pip Edwards and Claire Tregoning.
Since its launch in March 2016, the brands’ street-meets-sportswear offering has expanded to include extremely technical active wear, nostalgic 90’s streetwear, performance snow gear, accessories, fashion denim and now, a basics range.
PORCELAIN Brigid McLaughlin, is the resort line launched in 2009 by Sydney based designer Brigid McLaughlin.
Brigid produces two collections; Brigid McLaughlin which is predominately made within Australia and a resort line PORCELAIN Brigid McLaughlin, which is handcrafted in India.
Brigid is passionate about “Slow Clothing” producing quality, modern yet timeless clothing in natural fibres by the most sustainable practices possible.
Based in Melbourne Australia, STRATEAS CARLUCCI is a creative collaboration between designers Peter Strateas and Mario-Luca Carlucci founded in 2013.
The STRATEAS CARLUCCI brand is deconstructed androgyny, subtly subversive yet playful, producing modern luxury wardrobe staples, created from the concept of binary oppositions.
Designing both for Men and Women, STRATEAS CARLUCCI have championed a Masculine / Feminine duality within their collections through the idea of creating a unified collection that is not driven by gender, but by a concept.
From Sydney based designer Merryn Kelly, THIRD FORM is a contemporary womenswear label offering a feminine, refined edge look for the busy urban lifestyle.
Inspired by successful women that travel and work the big cities of the world, THIRD FORM offers minimalist inspired designs with considered urban detailing and cuts that elevate the female form.
THIRD FORM's aesthetic is recognised for creating unique textures and signature structure.
West 14th founder Violeta Tentomas, designs ultra-luxe, super-supple leather collections, inspired by her globe-trotting journey and fashion pedigree.
West 14th leather combines urban attitude with head-turning elegance to become an essential part of your life.
The brand makes soft second skin leathers with quality craftsmanship deliciously obtainable. With clean lines and high-impact details, these fashion-forward pieces add some gritty glamour to your wardrobe.
Established in 2016, X NIHILO is the brainchild of Jenny Hsieh, an entrepreneur with a passion for refined luxury.
X NIHILO - short for ex nihilo - is a Latin phrase that means “creation out of nothing”. The notion identifies X NIHILO’S aesthetics and vision to craft a sophisticated and honest range of leather bags for the modern women.
Blending reserved aesthetics with function & timelessness, inspired by, and designed for women of individuality and substance. X NIHILO‘S concept of luxury is embedded in its meticulously curated material, well-considered design, and the highest level of dedication and attention to detail in construction.
Together, AFC and ORDRE are committed to continue to promote the quality and brand value of Australian design on a global scale.
Look out for additional waves of designer line-up announcements as new collections continue to be added to the platform through to the end of July.
Confirmed showrooms soon to be added include; [et cetera] WOMAN, Ahimsa Collective, Aje, BLAIRARCHIBALD, CAMILLA, COMMAS, ESSE Studios, Ginger & Smart, Helen Kaminski, Katya Komarova, KITX, MNDATORY, Morrison, and P.E Nation.
Access the Showrooms from May here;
Image | via participating brand AJE
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