New PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival chair Launa Inman has made key changes to the Festival's Board, helping to ready the event for the new world.
Speaking to Ragtrader, Inman revealed that the Board has welcomed two designers – menswear designer Christian Kimber and womenswear designer Alexandra Smart (Ginger & Smart) – to the fold.
Inman said it was important to bring designers back to the Board, in order to have a diverse range of voices.
"For a long time we haven't had designers on the Board and yet their voice is absolutely key to the success of this festival.
"Alexandra is a very experienced designer based in Sydney, and I think one of the great things about Alexandra is she's got a lot of credibility in the industry.
"She has been around for a long time, so she has been through the ups and downs of economic downturns and success and has always stayed relevant to her consumer which is wonderful.
"Then our Melbourne designer, Christian Kimber, is a very talented male designer and in fact, some years ago won our design and national awards.
"He is also really adding a fresh view to the Board, and I think just having those voices is absolutely critical.
"It's all about the diversity of voices," she said.
Smart and Kimber join three other directors on the Board.
Inman added that the refreshed Board is working to bring the Festival's long-term vision to life.
"We assessed what skill sets are going to be important for the future," she said.
"We are working on where we want to be and what success is going to look like in five years' time.
"We've got a very strong Board that are very excited about it.
"I also think it's a Board that's really collaborating - not just internally but also with government and stakeholders," she said.
PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival will run from March 3-12 2022.
Launa Inman - PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival Chair