The CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades

The Royal Queensland Show

8-17 August 2013

Media Release – 21 June 2013

CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades bring a splash of style and glamour to Ekka 2013

The CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades will once again bring together the best of the country and the city at this year’s Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) in a spectacular celebration of our agricultural industries and local design talent from 8 – 17 August 2013.

A signature event on the Ekka program since the 1980’s, the parades have a reputation as one of the most iconic and must-see show traditions, attracting massive crowds each year.

The 2013 parades will be held in a new location this year. The stunning new multi-million dollar Royal International Convention Centre (formerly the Showbag Pavilion) will be transformed during Ekka into The Fashion and Fine Food Pavilion on level one.

It’s here on the grand stage that the parades will showcase the talent and innovation of Queensland’s local fashion designers, working with natural mediums such as cotton, wool, silk and more to showcase the finest fibres nature has to offer in their finished form.

The line-up in 2013 features 16 leading designers in an exciting mix of established and emerging artisans.

“At the heart of the Ekka is a commitment to promoting the very best of Queensland, and the CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades tribute the important collaboration between our state’s fashion and agricultural industries,” said RNA Chief Executive Brendan Christou.

“The CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades carry all the extravagance of the fashion world on a scale typically reserved for the industry itself, and I have no doubt they will continue to wow show-goers, as they have done every year.”

Fashion Event Director Lindsay Bennett, who created the original Cotton and Wool Parades, will again produce the parades this year.

“The Ekka is Queensland’s biggest annual show, which makes the CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades the largest publicly accessible fashion shows in the state,” he said.

“They draw visitors from all over and present a unique opportunity to experience the spectacle of a large-scale fashion parade.

“Audiences are invited to experience the natural beauty and quality of cotton, wool, silk and more but in a way that is relevant to the urban consumer.”

The CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades will run more than 30 times across the 10 day Ekka, offering an unprecedented stage for participating designers to showcase their new season collections in an eclectic blend of day, casual, elegant and bridal wear.

The CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades designer line-up includes: EP by Easton Pearson, Gail Sorronda, Paul Hunt, Darb Couture, George Wu, Bora, Maiocchi, Alexis Dawn, Surafina, Tengdahl, Sacha Drake, Dmoore, Han, Urbbana and Wil Valor.  Hair will be styled by CorCorz Hair and make-up by the team from Napoleon Perdis.

The Ekka is also pleased to support the next generation of fashion designers, presenting student designs from Queensland’s top two fashion institutions – Queensland University of Technology and Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE.

The CommBank Natural Fibres Fashion Parades will be staged in the Royal International Convention Centre at the Brisbane Showgrounds.

Parades will be staged at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm daily, as well as an additional 3pm showing on the first Saturday and B105 People’s Day.