Closure of local brand ends another rocky week for Australian fashion


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The closure of LIFEwithBIRD, while obviously sad for Van Messner and McCall, is a stark reminder that Australian labels that aren’t given adequate support to expand internationally will continue to be endangered species. You only have to look at brands such as Rebecca Vallance, whose top two markets are the United Kingdom and the Middle East, to understand the key to success for homegrown fashion lies offshore.


Carla Zampatti has made a noble gesture of $25,000 to help Australian fashion graduates further their studies overseas, with the idea they will return to design and trade in Australia.


Kym Ellery, who’s now based in Paris, told me last month there needs to be more support for Australian fashion in Australia, so that it can have a strong platform to promote itself overseas.


But as LIFEwithBIRD – and Lover, Easton Pearson and many before them – has proven, it’s not an automatic case of if you sketch it, they will come.


RIP LWB and, sad as its closure is, may it be a lesson for everyone linked to fashion that you truly don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

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