General News
17 March, 2023
It’s all the rage: Inaugural fashion week to highlight skills of Far North
ORGANISERS of the first fashion week in Cairns say it will finally showcase the talents of the Far North’s industry to Australia and beyond.
Cairns Fashion Week 2023 will be held from June 20-24, 2023, at the Tanks Art Centre and Crystalbrook hotels, Riley and Flynn.
Cairns Fashion Week founder and owner of Platinum Model Management Australia, Jade Turnbull, said it took four years to materialise this celebration of local fashion.
“We’ve been planning this for at least four years, but COVID happened, and we thought it wasn’t the right time,” she said.
“We thought, ‘you know what Cairns is missing? It’s missing a fashion event, and we are a global destination, making it the perfect place’,” Ms Turnbull told Cairns Local News.
Overwhelming response to style event
“I think Cairns Fashion Week will help put Cairns on the map. It will also encourage other big retailers to make the move up here.
“It’s going to generate a whole new industry up here and revive it.”
With months before the launch and slots still available for designers, brands and models to join Cairns Fashion Week, the event already has the participation of iconic local designers like Sonlia, Murri Quu, St Ballentine, Thread Vibes, Regan O’Neill and more.
Ms Turnbull said the event would also focus on educating through symposiums and workshops directed by industry professionals to inspire a new generation of fashion designers in the region.
Cairns Regional Council has backed the event with a $25,000 endorsement expecting the event to be a big boost for local tourism.
It includes $20,000 in-kind to support for venue hire and services at the Tanks and $5000 cash to support an independent economic impact assessment of the event.
“We’re incredibly grateful to have council backing us; it means a lot to us,” Ms Turnbull said.
“Especially because we are giving back to the community, and we think it’s going to have a great impact on the economy.
“And the response to it has been overwhelming; we have received over 1000 applications on one platform alone; that’s been from models, designers, media-related professionals and not only on the local level but on a state level and even international interest.”
The week is predicted to attract between 1800 to 2200 visitors, with at least 550 visitors from outside Cairns, who are likely to stay in the region for five nights.
The council estimates the event will have a $1.1 million impact on the Cairns economy.
Ms Turnbull said the week would offer fashion lovers a prestigious annual event highlighting the Far North as a global fashion destination.
“This is an amazing feeling, but it’s also scary; the event is snowballing and has become much bigger than we originally expected in terms of the publicity we’re receiving and the people contacting us from overseas. We want to deliver Cairns Fashion Week guests a high-end show on par with the other fashion weeks across Australia.”
For more information go to www.cairnsfashionweek.com
