So the last two days have been spent in a warehouse in the Melbourne CBD attending Buffet, the first tradeshow in the Asia-Pacific dedicated to streetwear.

I was uncertain how well the tradeshow was going to be but extremely excited about the forum talks that include the likes of Jeff Staple, Frank Liew and Rafael Rashid to name few.

I’ll touch first on the actual trade show, as I feel that it was perceived to be overshadowed by the impressive forum speakers. From talking to a few of the stalls I get the feeling that people had hoped more buyers would have gone through and that maybe more orders placed, and there was a feeling of discontent that maybe it wasn’t worth the price tag. Personally, I would be really disappointed if this impacts the next tradeshow slotted to return in August. Being the first tradeshow in Melbourne for streetwear it was always going to be a tough slog to make that dream order with a retail space, but what it did achieve was bringing out brand awareness to the fresh brands that maybe not all the Melbourne crew knew much about. And for me, putting a face to some of the labels I have admired from a distance I was able to see the passion these designers and business folk put into brands, it made me only more interested in them.

As for the forums, what can I say? It exceeded any expectation I could have imagined. The presentations were, as expected, informative and very inspirational, but it was open dialogue at the end of the presentations during the Q & A that I found most insightful. All the speakers were very approachable and willing to engage with the audience, and I had the pleasure of chatting to both speakers and moderators. On an end note, I would recommend anyone in the streetwear business or any retail business to get on board the next Buffet tradeshow.



Frank Liew -Qubic/Quarters Boutique



Luca of Like Minded Studios & Chey of Aotearoa Board Company (ABC)



Jacky Chia of SUP