iD fashion event needs $100,000

The iD Dunedin Fashion Week needs to find up to $100,000 to run its 2010 programme in full, but planning is going ahead despite the shortfall, committee chairwoman Susie Staley says.

Ms Staley said the committee had secured a "corner- stone funder" who had contributed a "reasonable" amount of money, but she said the "entity" wished to remain anonymous at this stage.

She declined to say whether the sponsor was a local company or person, or how much had been donated.

In October, the committee said it needed to find funding within two weeks or it would have to start withdrawing events from the calendar.

If more funds could not be found, Ms Staley said there was still a possibility the programme might have to be reduced before the event next March.

It had been harder this year than most others to secure the about $500,000 needed to run the event, she said.

The first cut to the event would probably be to the number of journalists and guests the committee would be able to afford to bring.

Ms Staley said the committee had applied for dozens of grants and many of those had deadlines which had not yet passed.

They had also applied for the Dunedin City Council contestable event funding, which is due to be announced in the next few days.

In October, the iD Fashion Committee launched a new fundraising venture, Club Couture, a limited membership club which, in return for funding, offers groups or individuals reserved seats for shows and a special event during the week.

Ms Staley said as far as she was aware, no contracts for the club had been confirmed.

However, several groups were "in the pipeline".

sarah.harvey@odt.co.nz