I'm lucky I get to travel the world with my business
Landing a job in the UK's fashion industry takes talent and patience — but the rewards can be huge.
Most Antipodean and South African fashion designers are firmly established back home before trying to break into London's competitive and fickle market. But Nicky Adamo did things the other way around.
The 32-year-old, from Sydney, had been living in the UK for a few years before she launched her label Julianne in 2005.In her first season, her designs were snapped up by trendy boutiques Figleaves.com and Austique. Next came Harvey Nichols, the first major UK store to stock Adamo's creations.
Today the Julianne brand is sold in other stores including Selfridges and Fenwick, and has even travelled to the US, stocked in Barneys and Henri Bendel.
Julianne — which features lingerie, loungewear and 'ready-to-wear' all in silk satins — has also been very popular in her home country. But despite her success, Adamo says things have happened "little by little".
"You become a very small fish in London," stresses the fashion designer, who is now based in the UK permanently. "It's very competitive here — you've got the whole European market, then you've got the local market, and then you've got the US market.
"The other thing you have in London which we don't have [in Australia] is the high street.
"You've got more luxury, and the middle market tends to be squeezed a bit, and that's where most of the Australian designers tend to fall."
Adamo, who has an economics degree and started out working for iconic Aussie brand Bonds in product development, as well as for department store Myer's lingerie department, says the best advice is to keep buyers "in the loop and not accept 'no' as an answer.
"You've got to be really persistent because you can be the flavour of the month one season and then everyone forgets about you the next," she says. But your efforts will be rewarded.
"I'm lucky I get to travel the world with my business," Adamo says. "I get to talk to a lot of buyers and see what's happening in the market."
Home made
No city sets the standard in fashion innovation like London. It's raw talent central, and heaps of new designers are getting in on the action.
Australia
AustraliaMaking waves is Sydney-born Josh Goot. Famed for his metallic dresses, Goot is stocked at boutique Browns with fellow Aussie Richard Nicoll, who achieved recognition with his collection for Topshop.
After 10 years in London as a stylist it's hardly surprising Alice McCall's whimsical print dresses for Topshop are so popular.
The ultimate success story has to be Sass & Bide, whose deluxe denim has been on the legs of London fashionistas for years.
South Africa
South Africa has tons of talent waiting to burst onto the international stage.
Bongiwe Walaza has yet to crack the UK, but with stockists in Singapore, Japan and US loving her bold African prints, it's only a matter of time before London falls for her 'Afro-chic'. Combining African design heritage with luxurious fabrics, Sun Goddess' stunning couture is going down a storm, and with South Africa Fashion Week on the global fashion press' radar, it's their time to shine.
New Zealand
Kiwi fashion queen Karen Walker is a household name in the UK, with collections for sale at some of London's top boutiques. Bringing a darker edge to New Zealand style, NOM*D create cool deconstructed pieces.
Their Autumn/Winter collection references fashion's gothic revival and is stocked in 59 Broadwick Street and Beyond The Valley boutiques.
