Simon Says

Nicholas Huxley, Simon Lock & Patty Huntington

When fashion entrepreneur Simon Lock launched the first Mercedes Benz Australian Fashion Week twenty years ago there were only 4 rival events around the world : New York, Paris, Milan and London. Now there are over 200 similar events and they are all backed by Mercedes due to Lock convincing the German auto firm that fashion was the ideal way to bridge a gap with a new generation who associated the cars with a fuddy duddy older generation.

Simon has now put pen to paper to produce In The front Row, his story in getting the hugely successful fashion event off the ground. Launching his book last night at the Design Residency in Darlinghurst Lock paid tribute to some of those who were there at the beginning and stuck with him : amongst several : designer Peter Morrisey who quipped "that was the last time I owned my only label", Akira Isogawa - a friend begged Simon to take on newbie Akira whose first show was so successful that the boss of uber smart London boutique Browns elbowed her way down the catwalk afterwards to snap up the entire collection, Carla Zampatti and the famous seating manager John Flower who wielded ultimate power with seating plans before his recent retirement and hence- the title of the book.

Left to Right : Bianca Spender, Carla Zampatti, David Bush Mary Shackman, Akira Isogawa, Kirstie Clements

 Attending the first few years of Sydney's fashion week were unforgettable experiences with the cream of European & American fashion writers, models and identities jetting into town. Things have quietened down over the last few years but they have just about everywhere as the industry changes with the digital age.
In The front Row will be a must read for anyone hoping for a fashion career.