“We’re not just about swimwear and beachwear you know,” sighs PR wunderkind, Holly Garber when recounting some of the common misconceptions about Australian fashion...
“We’re not just about swimwear and beachwear you know,” sighs PR wunderkind, Holly Garber when recounting some of the common misconceptions about Australian fashion. Indeed in recent years, despite seemingly insurmountable problems of geographic distance and the change of seasons, Australian Fashion Week is coming of age. Alongside the likes of Josh Goot, Christopher Esber, Ellery and with the artfully constructed work of Dion Lee (staged in the iconic surroundings of the Sydney Opera House) drawing raves from none other than Tim Blanks; Australia now boasts talent to match any at an international level. As the publicist for many of the new guard of Australia’s brightest design hopes, 30-year-old Garber is uniquely placed to comment on this reversal of fortunes.
Following an auspicious debut as a model in Vogue Bambino aged six; Garber switched to a more behind-the scenes role when she started her boutique agency, Golightly PR in 2004 (after a short tenure at denim brand Sass & Bide.) “I don’t know if I was being brave or naïve really, particularly since I started my business six weeks before fashion week and proceeded to do six shows there having never worked at Fashion Week before!”
Following that baptism of fire, Garber quickly established herself as the agency for cutting edge creatives like boundary-pushing jewellery designer Jordan Askill, Lover and Lee. “I like working with people who might all be doing different work but they are all the best at what they do. They have strong creative visions and are incredibly inspiring to work with. If you’re publicising, you’re ultimately selling and I never have a problem talking them up.” Garber talks frankly about the problems facing Australian designers, some of which chime with a recent piece on The Business of Fashion. “Production is a big issue for Australian designers. There is a limited pool of sample makers available which presents a problem for smaller designers. And then there are the issues that Australian designers face that are the same everywhere – competing with fast fashion and the high street, globalisation of the industry, the pressure to produce more and more collections and faster.”
Despite this, Garber remains optimistic about the future for Australian fashion. “It’s an interesting time,” she muses, “About five years ago it was all about Ksubi, Sass and Bide, Colette Dinnigan who stopped showing here and started showing overseas. There is a sense that the next generation is starting to do that as well which means there is going to be a new batch that are going to come up who are going to be interesting to watch.” Her roster may change if designers like the much feted Dion Lee take the leap overseas but don’t expect Garber to follow suit. She laughs, “No, I love living in Sydney so much! I love the weather and the focus on an outdoor lifestyle. And I like the fact that there is a sense of growth here.”
