What happens after a significant disaster to our personal and material values? How does crisis change the way we want to present ourselves, how we consume, and what we desire most?

The economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the luxury and fashion industry have been significant, but even now there are signs of recovery, creativity and resilience.

What might the pandemic mean for local Australian production, consumer trends and the future of fashion?

Could the pandemic lead to new opportunities – for consumers, designers and producers?

Moderator: Associate Professor Timo Rissanen

Panel

Carla Zampatti AO, Zampatti is Executive Chairman of Carla Zampatti Pty Ltd. This year, she celebrates the epic accomplishment of 55 years in the fashion business. Carla is, without a doubt the matriarch of the Australian fashion industry – not only as a result of her success and achievements in design and business, but also because of her enduring commitment to mentoring and supporting the next generation of Australian fashion designers. In 2018 she launched the $25,000 Carla Zampatti Foundation Design Award which has now benefited three talented honours graduates from the Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles at UTS to pursue further study overseas. She is a board member of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, the European Australian Business Council, Sydney Dance Company, MCA Foundation and UTS V-C's Industry Advisory Board.

Julie Ann Morrison has extensive experience internationally and locally building and leading iconic brands such as Gucci, Bulgari, Moschino, sass & bide, David Lawrence, Marcs and Guess. She has been a Managing Director based in London within the LVMH Group, a finalist in the Australian Business Woman of the Year award, a non-executive director of Myer and a long term advisor to Carla Zampatti. Julie Ann has held various roles within the fashion and related industries from sales, marketing and buying to HR Director where she developed and delivered training courses. As an MD she has worked across global markets from Asia to Europe to the US in managing brand licensing, retail and wholesale. Julie Ann holds a Master of Arts – Creative Media and consults on branding and business strategy.

Dr Toby Slade is a new associate professor at UTS in fashion and textiles and an authority on Japanese fashion and popular culture. Before coming to UTS, Toby worked for more than 16 years at the University of Tokyo and Bunka Gakuen University in Japan. His current research focuses on the history, contemporary forms and changing meaning of luxury in Japan. He is the author of two books: Japanese Fashion: A Cultural History, the first English-language book to explore the entire historical sweep of fashion and clothing in Japan, and Introducing Japanese Popular Culture, which looks at fashion as a central component of popular culture. Toby is a founding member of the Research Collective for Decolonialising Fashion and he was a recent guest editor of a special issue of Fashion Theory (September 2020) that explores decolonising fashion.

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