By Ian Neubauer
A licensed premises in the heart of Sydney’s male-orientated financial services district has successfully reinvented itself as a ‘girly bar’ through a partnership deal with Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival (RSFF).
Workbar on the lobby level of the MLC centre in Martin Place was filled to the rafters every day last week as hundreds of fashionistas, A-listers and media representatives converged for complementary drinks and food in what was temporarily dubbed the VIP Bar.
“The VIP Bar has raised RSFF one step above by creating an intimate experience for media and VIPs in a premium environment,” said Foster’s communication manager, Tammy Richardson.
The 166-capacity venue that trades only on weekdays was selected for its proximity to the enclosed catwalk in Martin Place, where more than 80 Australian fashion labels were showcased over five days.
The partnership saw Workbar’s fridges stocked with Rosemount wine, Yellowglen and SKYY RTDs, and its layout refurbished by Sydney’s fashion PR king, Adam Worling.
“Our direction was to be as fashionable as possible, hence lots of metallic silvers, oversized black and white photographs of models and a red and white motif. We wanted people to remember those colours as they drank Rosemount O over ice,” Worling said, referring to the wine brand that was specifically created from ripe grapes for a flavour enhanced by ice.
Workbar manager, Sarah Green, who was hired to turn the venue into “more of a girly-skewed space”, said the challenge now was to build on the momentum created by RSFF.
“We plan to build it with lots of marketing and PR, and also through networking,” she said. “Workbar will become known as the place where the ‘well-dressed girls’ are.”