The Tamesis
When you think of Sydney, what comes to mind? Maybe the Opera House, the Harbor Bridge, Bondi Beach? The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) certainly thinks so. In its second year as organizer of Australian Fashion Week (AFW), the council swapped the industrial venue Carriageworks for a contemporary art museum located right in front of these Australian landmarks.
The AFC hopes the move will increase the week’s global appeal to media and buyers to better help the brand establish itself not only in the Australian market, but also in global markets. “We know from past shows [at Sydney landmarks]Like Bondi Born and Carla Zampatti last year, these images went global,” said AFW Fashion Director Kellie Hush. “There’s nothing more iconic than a model with the Opera House or the Sydney Harbor Bridge in the background. “
The AFC took over the AFW six months before the 2025 event, while IMG ran the event for nearly 20 years before exiting in November 2024. Under IMG’s control, brands face numerous terms that prevent many from participating. Now, with the move to a non-profit model, AFC aims to build a more accessible version of AFW while also being a launchpad for achieving global scale.
“Australia is a small country,” Housh said. “We have 27 million people. For businesses to really thrive and grow, they have to look at international markets because eventually you do hit a ceiling given the size of the market here.” The catch-22 is that international expansion is expensive, which is why Hush is keen to connect brands with wholesalers who can help with the transition. As well as the show, buyers will network with brands and arrange meetings at the showrooms, with the AFC also helping to coordinate these events; for example, Net-a-Porter will travel outside of Sydney to Melbourne and Byron Bay.
AFW kicks off May 11-15 with a traditional Welcome to Country, a land acknowledgment ceremony. Next up, Carla Zampatti will kick off the week, followed by a show from occasion wear brand Maticevski, whose founder Toni Maticevski is returning to AFW for the first time in a decade. The rest of the calendar includes shows for established brands such as Aje, Bianca Spender, Beare Park, Ngali and Nicol & Ford, as well as shows for new labels such as Courtney Cheng and Esse. Fashion darlings Alix Higgins and Iordanes Spyridon Gogos are also among them.
