Paul Trainor and PFF Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan at the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival launch.
Camera IconPaul Trainor and PFF Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan at the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival launch. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie

Opinion: Telstra Perth Fashion Festival 2018 launched with a few elephants in the room: Optus and Lisa Scaffidi

By Denise S. CahillWestern Suburbs Weekly

THERE were a couple of elephants in the room at the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival (PFF) launch last Tuesday – Optus and Lisa Scaffidi.

PFF director Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan was the first cab off the rank doing a flawless job of not mentioning that other phone company that doesn’t sponsor the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival, when revealing that Fashion Paramount would be held at the new “stadium”.

She was excited that as PFF celebrated 20 years, the stadium would be in its first year.

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Then Telstra’s Boyd Brown stepped up to the microphone.

He was also excited that Fashion Paramount would be held at Perth’s stadium.

Perth MLA John Carey launching PFF 2018. Andrew Ritchie.
Camera IconPerth MLA John Carey launching PFF 2018. Andrew Ritchie. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie.

Mr Brown went on to emphasise that the stadium belonged to Perth and its people and was in fact powered by Telstra, which plugged the stadium in to wifi and had a hand in the 1000 TV screens around the oval.

Last, but not least, was Perth MLA John Carey who was chuffed to energetically launch the 2018 Perth Fashion Festival, a job usually done by Lisa Scaffidi before she stepped down as Lord Mayor in September last year.

In his speech, he thanked the three City of Perth commissioners who he commended for doing a great job running the City of Perth.

For those of us in the media, the passive-aggressive relationship between Mr Carey and Ms Scaffidi when they were mayor of the City of Vincent and Perth City Lord Mayor respectively, was obvious.

Who will be officially opening PFF 2019?

Mr Carey will be reluctant to give up his post – and the borrowed MJ Bale suit – but there is a chance Ms Scaffidi will be back in her mayoral chains after serving a seven month suspension imposed by the State Administrative Tribunal last week.