Supermodels Wear Oz Designs
The Age
Friday July 23, 1993
CLAUDIA SCHIFFER in Lisa Ho, Linda Evangelista in Howard Showers and Carla Bruni in Simona. You're thinking something's not quite right here? Wrong.
Get set to see a new look for Australian fashion this summer as Myer/Grace Bros sets the pace in fashion retailing. In a bid to boost its fashion image, the company has enlisted the services of three of the world's supermodels. The trio will feature in the company's upcoming spring/summer fashion campaigns. An all-Australian fashion team, including Christine Bookallil and Grant Pearce from Myer/Grace Bros, photographers Graeme Shearer and Jonathon Bookallil, stylist Jayson Brunsdon, and hair and make-up artist Stephen Gould have recently returned from Paris where the three models were photographed in gear that went from simple $60 Miss Shop dresses to beautiful pieces from the likes of Simona and Lisa Ho.
The ambitious exercise was the idea of Myer/Grace Bros' head PR, Christine Bookallil. ``I have always believed that, in Australia, we have fashion that compares with the world market. The reason much of the fashion sells for overseas designers is because it is featured on the backs of supermodels. So I thought, why should Australian designers be any different?" With a planning stragegy to rival that of an Olympic Games opening, Ms Bookallil says it was ``pure luck" managing to have the three girls in Paris at the same time. ``Actually, it was a job that was highly sought after among the top models and, if times and dates suited, we could have also had a choice of Naomi Campbell and Tatjana Patitz. As it happened, we still managed to get three of the six-pack (referring to the world's top six models).
As for the clothes, Ms Bookallil said the girls loved them. (Claudia Schiffer fell so in love with a long denim skirt by Lisa Ho that she decided she had to have it.) But the Myer/Grace Bros coup doesn't stop with supermodels in Paris.
On Thursday, 2 September, the company, together with Channel 9, will stage a major television fashion extravaganza. To be hosted by Ray Martin, the special will feature the best in Australian fashion.
Meanwhile, the FIA (Fashion Industries of Australia) awards, due to be aired a week after the Channel 9 special, found itself in hot water last week with the news that one of this year's judging decisions had been overturned. When award finalists were announced in June, none were named for the evening-wear category. The reason given, that the judges felt nothing was worthy of first prize. But the FIA recalled some of the judges, forcing them to rejudge the category and nominate a winner.
FIA spokesman, Ms Lee Manfred, said because so much of the fashion industry was represented by PM and special occasion wear, the FIA felt it should be represented.
``I know that, under the judging rules and procedures, the judges were entitled not to nominate a winner. But when they (the FIA) looked at the categories that were being presented on television, it was felt that PM was very much missing, and should be there," Ms Manfred said.
Ms Manfred said the FIA was aware of the Channel 9 fashion special a week before the awards. ``We think it is fantastic because it means fashion is being profiled for two weeks _ which is great.
``It will make us try harder and do an even better job.
As if to prove the point, the FIA announced that the Prime Minister's wife, Mrs Annita Keating, had been named the awards' patron.
© 1993 The Age
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