STATE GOVT LENDS SUPPORT TO FASHION FESTIVAL OPENING
Published Sunday, 26 August, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Minister for State Development John Mickel will tonight lend State Government support to Queensland’s fashion event of the year.
Mr Mickel said the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival opening tonight (26 August) and running until 31 August highlighted the growing economic importance of creative industries like fashion design to Queensland.
“Queensland’s creative industries businesses, which include fashion designers, are the fastest growing in the nation and are currently worth $3.4 billion annually to the state,” he said.
“We have a rich pool of exciting fashion design talent with enormous potential for expansion into new national and international markets.
“Fashion design is an industry that embodies our Smart State principles of innovation, knowledge and exportability – it’s an industry that will take Queensland forward.”
Mr Mickel said Queensland’s fashion design industry was experiencing considerable growth.
“We have established designers like Easton-Pearson expanding their markets in Australia and Europe and emerging designers increasing sales and gaining greater recognition for their work,” he said.
“And the future looks incredibly bright with young designers coming up through the Creative Industries Faculty at QUT and the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE – in fact since 2002 numbers of students studying design in Queensland have risen from 20 to around 100.
“It’s certainly clear that young people now see fashion design as not only an exciting but financially rewarding career path.
“The Queensland Government is committed to supporting the industry, nurturing new talent, helping designers to develop the business skills to remain sustainable and grow and make a name for themselves both here and overseas.”
The Queensland Government has provided $30,000 in sponsorship to this year’s awards which includes the staging of the State Development Design Innovation Group Show on Thursday 30 August featuring designers such as Gail Sorronda, George Wu, Grbac, Akko, Mother Maria and Coxi.
The Department of State Development will also deliver a masterclass during the festival, giving established and emerging designers an insight into the “business of fashion”.
Minister Mickel will speak at tonight’s event at Government House where Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce will officially open this year’s festival.
For more information on the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival go to www.mbff.com.au
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
Mr Mickel said the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival opening tonight (26 August) and running until 31 August highlighted the growing economic importance of creative industries like fashion design to Queensland.
“Queensland’s creative industries businesses, which include fashion designers, are the fastest growing in the nation and are currently worth $3.4 billion annually to the state,” he said.
“We have a rich pool of exciting fashion design talent with enormous potential for expansion into new national and international markets.
“Fashion design is an industry that embodies our Smart State principles of innovation, knowledge and exportability – it’s an industry that will take Queensland forward.”
Mr Mickel said Queensland’s fashion design industry was experiencing considerable growth.
“We have established designers like Easton-Pearson expanding their markets in Australia and Europe and emerging designers increasing sales and gaining greater recognition for their work,” he said.
“And the future looks incredibly bright with young designers coming up through the Creative Industries Faculty at QUT and the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE – in fact since 2002 numbers of students studying design in Queensland have risen from 20 to around 100.
“It’s certainly clear that young people now see fashion design as not only an exciting but financially rewarding career path.
“The Queensland Government is committed to supporting the industry, nurturing new talent, helping designers to develop the business skills to remain sustainable and grow and make a name for themselves both here and overseas.”
The Queensland Government has provided $30,000 in sponsorship to this year’s awards which includes the staging of the State Development Design Innovation Group Show on Thursday 30 August featuring designers such as Gail Sorronda, George Wu, Grbac, Akko, Mother Maria and Coxi.
The Department of State Development will also deliver a masterclass during the festival, giving established and emerging designers an insight into the “business of fashion”.
Minister Mickel will speak at tonight’s event at Government House where Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce will officially open this year’s festival.
For more information on the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival go to www.mbff.com.au
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.