That’s one side of it, sure. But ‘down under’ is now earning a new reputation as a luxury destination for brands and rich travellers.
The recent 2015 Australian Fashion Film Awards confirmed that Australians have an appetite – and the dollars – to compete on the international stage for the title of most glamourous country. In the winning fashion clip for Country Road, stunning Aussie supermodel Gemma Ward is shown revelling in the easy-going, yet completely elegant lifestyle that is redefining the world’s opinion of the nation, especially by attracting foreign investors and tourists.
In fact, Australia is doing so well in the luxury goods and apparel market that it will soon host deLux15, a one-day conference designed to discuss the matter in-depth. The forum will focus on Australia’s place in the global luxury market, whilst also evaluating its potential as a new home for flagship stores from premium brands and labels in the retail, food, travel and wine industries.
It’s difficult to pinpoint any one factor that is making Australia such a hot topic with the super-rich set. Certainly the international profile of the country has been raised by its most famous pop-culture ambassadors, Gemma Ward included, but even reality television shows such as MasterChef Australia are raising awareness about gourmet tastes (some might say posturing) among many Australians.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports in an article that according to a Boston Consulting Report: “On a global scale, Melbourne and Sydney are in the top 25 of the firm’s list of 550 growth cities for luxury – ahead of shopping destinations such as Abu Dhabi and hedonistic locations such as Miami and Rome.”
But is it only domestic spending that is leading the charge? Not exactly. While rich Australians are not afraid to spend big, a booming tourist industry is also stoking the consumerist flames. The Boston report went on to say, “Our report forecasts the number of Chinese tourists visiting Australia each year is set to rise from 900,000 in 2012 to 2.2 million in 2020.”
The significant lure of tourist dollars is enough for coveted luxury brands to open up for business on the country’s sunny shores. Australians can look forward to even more opportunities to shop at Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and similar apparel stores in the near future. Until then, they might even consider picking up a Rolex online at Chrono24 to help pass the time.
With so much costly evidence stacked in its favour, could it be that Australia really is the most glamourous country in the world?