:: Spotlight :: Fashion Palette 2009

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

Fashion Palette is set to transform Australian fashion, inviting both leading national and international fashion figures to share their personal career journey with the audience.

From the outside, the world of fashion can appear glamorous, mysterious and impossible to break into. Watching leading Australian designers show their collections at fashion week can be an inspiring and exhilarating experience for the few lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket. Now the Australian fashion community will have the chance to soak up the skills and knowledge of some prominent fashion figures at this new and exciting event - Fashion Palette.

The inaugural Fashion Palette event will open its doors to the public at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, running from May 1-2, 2009. In addition to the two-days of presentations from leading fashion figures, Fashion Palette will host a design competition, catwalk show and after party, all designed to offer networking opportunities and to celebrate newly discovered talent. The premiere Fashion Palette event will take place in Sydney, with future events running around Australia.

Describing her vision, Fashion Palette founder and director, Sonya Mefaddi said, “Fashion Palette is about providing a platform like no other for the Australian fashion community, an opportunity to learn and be inspired from within by some of the worlds most leading fashion figures. I am thrilled to be supporting the next generation of fashion designers in their quest to realise their dreams. When personal vision is matched with opportunity, extraordinary things can happen.”

Speakers
The program of speakers will include leading national and international designers representing a variety of industry specialties, from catwalk fashion to accessory, handbag, textile, costume, t-shirt and swimwear design, as well as fashion illustration and photography. Bringing some of the worlds most inspirational fashion figures to the stage, to share their personal career journey with you. Providing an insight to how they made it, their keys to success, their inspiration, techniques and processes over a one-hour presentation. Amongst the list of speakers are designers Mimco, Peter Morrissey, Insight, Alpha 60 and Daniel Herman.

Event Times
Day One - May 1: 8.30am - 6.30pm
Day Two - May 2: 10.00am - 6.30pm

Ticket Information
Student Ticket
A student ticket entitles you to a two-day pass to the event, PLUS tote bag. Please note a valid student ID must be shown to gain entry.

General Ticket
A general ticket entitles you to a two-day pass to the event, PLUS tote bag.

VIP Ticket
A VIP ticket entitles you to a two-day pass to the event with front row seating, complimentary entrance to the exclusive after party event, PLUS a tote bag.

Awards
The 2009 Fashion Palette Excellence Awards have been designed to recognise and reward emerging Australian Fashion Designers and industry professionals. All entrants have the opportunity to submit their work to be nominated for outstanding vision and achievement within the awards categories.

Applications are now open and close March 20, 2009.

Fashion Palette is committed to nurturing the development of the Australian fashion industry’s future designers. The awards are celebrations of the sheer talent emerging Australian designers have to offer.

Shortlisted entries will be announced and published on March 23, 2009 on the Fashion Palette website, with the three finalists from each category being named at the Fashion Palette event on May 2, 2009 in Sydney, where the winner will also be announced.

Along with recognition for their vision and achievement, the winner from each category will receive:
- $2000 cash to kick-start their career
- Complimentary VIP Ticket to Fashion Palette 2010 (Valued at $595)
- Online media exposure via the Fashion Palette website and it's supporting partners.

The winners in each category will be invited to showcase their work at the 2009 Fashion Palette After Party as the event keynote speakers, Fashion Palette staff, event delegates, media and VIP guests mingle. Networking opportunities with the team from Fashion Palette, the event media and the keynote speakers being recognised as the winner of your category.

2nd and 3rd runners up of each category will receive a VIP ticket to the 2010 Fashion Palette event valued at $595