How many Bryans can you cram into one event? Well three that I personally know here at KFW (Kiwi Fashion Week). That's not counting Sydney stylist Ryan Lobo who is part of an Oz fashion posse in town this week. At last night's afterparty following the funky Stolen Girlfriends Club show, and over the strains of local Auckland band The Checks, Lobo shouted to me that he plans forthwith to go under the moniker of "Ryanboy".
Bryanboy (^) you know.
Bryan Eible you might not know.
Eible (^) is a Sarasota, Florida-based retailer - and honorary New Zilunder, married to a Kiwi - who operates two boutiques in Miami called Foxy Lady.
Eible was involved in this morning's panel discussion at a designer think tank sponsored by Westpac. Dear God, if only an Australian bank would show a shred of interest in the Oz fashion industry.
I was on the panel too. I don't know what it is with me and panel discussions at the mo. That's two in four days. It was quite handy being able to relate some of the anecdotes from Monday's FGI affair at Fashion Exposed - notably vis-a-vis how, when the going gets tough, fashion businesses really must learn to be flexible and adapt. A case in point, the Memsahib anecdote.
We discussed, among other issues, the timing of the event. This is a fairly important point given that the event clashes with several big international trade events, notably London Fashion Week.
Some of the most interesting questions and points that were raised by the audience included the importance, and global growth, of consumer-based fashion events - and the growth in the personal shopper/stylist industry.
Also on the panel was Brian Long (pictured above with New Zealand Fashion Week founder and md Pieter Stewart).
Long is a US publicist, now based in Miami, who reps various fashion brands including Nicky Hilton.
I first met Long about five years ago when he attended the event with US stylist Rebecca Weinberg, ex Sex And The City.
And yes, we had Janet Jackson/Madonna-style headpieces - the kewl flesh-coloured ones. You hardly know that they're attached to you. As Long discovered at the end of proceedings, when he announced to me - and those left in the room:
"I have to go pee now".
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