5 September 2002

Innovation and quality will produce economic success

Our fashion industry presents New Zealand with a huge opportunity to be seen by the rest of the world as innovative and focussed on quality, Industry and Regional Development Minister Jim Anderton said today at the launch of the new industry association: Fashion Industry New Zealand.

“New Zealand designers creativity and skill are already world class.

“From being virtually unknown, even within New Zealand, our labels have received international acclaim from buyers and critics at prestige events like Sydney and London Fashion Weeks.

“In the last two decades, New Zealand’s designer fashion industry has grown at a spectacular rate. A recent Industry New Zealand report estimated the size of the industry at $159 million a year – and growing.

Growing the fashion industry is seen as a key part of Industry New Zealand’s development strategy for the creative sector that covers a diverse range of industries such as screen production (film and television), music and digital media.

“The establishment of Fashion Industry New Zealand paves the way for a positive and productive partnership with the fashion industry and government agencies such as Industry New Zealand,” Jim Anderton said.

The establishment of Fashion Industry New Zealand (FINZ) was one of the recommendations of a report commissioned by Industry New Zealand and authored by FINZ Executive director, Paul Blomfield.

FINZ brings together key players in New Zealand’s burgeoning and internationally acclaimed fashion industry.

“It is not enough to simply stamp products with a kiwi or a fernleaf. If the products that are linked to New Zealand aren’t of excellent world class standard, logos mean very little, excellence is the best brand,” Jim Anderton said.

For more information on FINZ, visit their website www.finz.co.nz
Industry NZ and the fashion reports www.industrynz.govt.nz

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