Entertainment
1 July, 2023
It’s just the beginning
THE first Cairns Fashion Week (CFW) has been successfully wrapped up with founder Jade Turnbull saying it exceeded expectations.
Three hundred people attended the sold-out Podium Showcase at the Tanks Arts Centre on Saturday last week.
More than 1000 people joined CFW events across the week, which attracted visitors from the Far North, interstate and even overseas for the inaugural venture.
Ms Turnbull said the event had been “a raging success with designers, models and fashion lovers alike”.
“People will take us seriously from now on,” she said.
“CFW gave an opportunity to local designers that they wouldn’t have ordinarily had in the area, this being the biggest fashion event that the region has seen. It’s something that they would’ve had to travel to Sydney or Melbourne or overseas for.
“We feel that CFW exceeded expectations and the feedback has been fantastic. It is everything we dreamed of.”
Kuranda model Audrey Anwyl, who wore Sonlia, Regan O’Neill, Swimbarre, Citizen Reign and other garments, said the event was a platform for local models and designers.
“It sets a precedent in Cairns,” she said. “Events like these allows us to create connections on a professional level, represent our area and for local designers to get the recognition they deserve.”
With a waiting list of designers for the 2024 CFW, Ms Turnbull said the plan was to come back bigger and better.
“During the event there were many designers and models coming to us and saying, ‘What are the dates for next year? We want to be a part of it again’, and it was the same with guests wanting to know what out next theme is going to be,” she said.
“Next year we’re coming back bigger and better. We’re looking at increasing capacity because events like the Podium Showcase were extremely full, so we know we have to go bigger to facilitate more bookings.
“We’ll absolutely be looking to apply for grants to support our 2024 event.” Some crowd favourite events were the Swimwear and Resortwear Showcase and the closing Podium Showcase where local designers like Regan O’Neill, Murri Quu Couture, St Ballentine, Dada’s Step and Sonlia were the highlights.
“The most exciting thing was looking around the room and seeing everyone buzzing, and seeing our vision come to life was surreal,” Ms Turnbull said.
