''I realised shoes may cost more than $100 a pair and with 15 models I simply couldn't afford it,'' Isogawa said.

''I put them in red socks instead.''

That 1996 show was a steep learning curve for the designer, who returned the following year with shoes and a slicker collection.

''It was a turning point for my career,'' said Isogawa of his 1997 show. ''Business more than doubled overnight, including international boutiques, and one of my dresses from that show was on the cover of Vogue, worn by Naomi Campbell.''

But these days, Isogawa shows in Paris, where he says ''true creativity'' in fashion comes from.

''Also Fashion Week has become more domestic in its focus and there are less international buyers than when I started, that is a fact,'' he said.

Isogawa is one of a host of big names that will be absent when the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia opens in Sydney on Monday. Lisa Ho, Willow, Sass & Bide, Josh Goot and Zimmermann are among the other big brands not taking part this year.

Some established labels now show at international fashion weeks instead, while others argue Fashion Week has become more about publicity opportunities than generating sales.

Zimmermann has shown consistently at Fashion Week since the event's inception, but now presents its collections during New York Fashion Week instead.

''We've made the choice to base our shows in New York mostly because we are focused on growing our brand in America at the moment,'' said Simone Zimmermann.

''We owe the event a lot but I think the way it has evolved, now it's more about [marketing] your own brand than it is about sales for most designers.''

The organisers of Fashion Week said the ability of big designers to now show overseas rather than locally reflected the role the event had played in helping them grow their businesses across the world.

''Success should be celebrated for a designer going overseas, but it's also important that young designers have the right foundations in their own backyard,'' said Jarrad Clark, global creative director of IMG fashion, which owns the week.

''The Fashion Week platform is very important as a means to nurture them so they can understand who they are as a designer and also who their customer base is.''

Mr Clark said that while fewer buyers may travel to fashion weeks, more people engaged with the events overall due to the impact of the internet.

Of the 76 designers on the schedule for the week, more than half are newcomers, opening the way for the next Isogawa or Zimmermann to shine.

''Showing at Fashion Week is a way to say, 'Here I am, take me seriously, this is my label and this is what I've got','' said Hayley Elsaesser.

The 25-year-old Queensland University of Technology graduate will present her new spring-summer collection on Thursday.

For 27-year-old Leroy Nguyen, who showed with the Ultimo TAFE Fashion Design Studio group last year, his first Fashion Week solo show offers an opportunity to move from being a fledgling designer to a fully formed business.

''I want to make a confident statement about my label and the product, and any sales would be a bonus,'' Nguyen said.