Last week, Dennis Langford – CEO for TONI&GUY Australia and Katy Reeve – National Creative Director, shared a stage with L’Enfant Terrible of French Fashion Jean Paul Gaultier in an inaugural training and education seminar for The Australian Fashion Chamber in both Melbourne and Sydney.
TONI&GUY’s inspiring duo provided a 20 minute London Fashion Week-inspired presentation alongside other guestspeakers including Gual Barwell, Head of Strategy at Reborn Digital Agency, who spoke about tips for best digital marketing practice. Kellie Hush hosted the event, thanking global hair fashion brand, TONI&GUY for their support of The Australian Fashion industry since its inception, via their exclusive partnership with the AFC alongside affiliate product partner, label.m.
In looking to provide emerging and established designers, as well as industry marketers and media with an insight into TONI&GUY’s creative collaborations at London Fashion Week, Reeve showcased two key looks from Jean Pierre Braganza and Lulu Liu. “Having just returned from LFW, it was a brilliant opportunity to share how the creative process between a Designer and Hair Director/Team actually works with examples from this seasons showing. Not only to showcase the hair look, but to talk about the logistics of group shows, models running from one show to the next and the importance of communicating an overall vision within the briefing process,” explained Reeve.
With fashion and education playing such a pivotal role within TONI&GUY’s DNA, lauded mentor Dennis Langford was keen to support the event. “I really believe that the strengthening of an industry is attained by sharing ideas. Our decade of partnership with London Fashion Week is a rich experience that we can share with designers wanting to produce a show here or internationally,” he said.
Following the guest speakers, the one and only Jean Paul Gaultier entered the room for a Q&A with Edwina McCann in Melbourne, and Editor in Chief of Harper’s BAZAAR, Kellie Hush in Sydney. In Australia for the launch of the exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, at the Gallery of Victoria, Gaultier was full of witty anecdotes and kept the audience hanging on his every (heavily accented) word. On the subject of Australian women, he said they “are like the country they are from – very beautiful!” and cited models Alyssa Sutherland, Gemma Ward and Catherine McNeil as the best Australian models he has worked with. He commended the spirit of Australian Fashion and the country’s wonderful optimism. Gaultier also spoke of his love for Australian actors and the film Muriel’s Wedding – a story he applauded for the beautiful balance of comedy, drama, romance … and ‘a happy ending’.
An absolutely unforgettable experience for The Journal team, and a week later we are still pinching ourselves…
-TJ