Live Runways are Back!
Australian Fashion Week is returning to Sydney’s Carriageworks for a fresh new season of runway shows, presentations, industry talks and more.
A near-complete schedule has just been released today, for what will be the event’s 25th anniversary, having been delayed for a year due to COVID-19.
Rebranded as Afterpay Australian Fashion Week the resort 2022 showcase will comprise mainly live runway shows, with an expanded digital program to boot.
The biggest news, apart from a first ever Welcome to Country and dedicated indigenous runways is that this, for the first time, will be a showcase celebrating diversity, inclusion, sustainability and accessibility. It will including designers Alice McCall, Anna Quan, bassike, Bec + Bridge, Blair Archibald, Camilla, Cue, Ginger & Smart, Ginny’s Girl Gang, Manning Cartell, P.E. Nation and Romance Was Born.
Smaller independent brands that are kicking sustainable goals will also be represented, like A.BCH and autark.
In an overly long overdue and previously ignored area, First Nations Fashion and Design will open the event on the morning of May 31 with a Welcome to Country. Throughout the week, a dedicated on-site space operated by FNFD will feature Indigenous designers and allow for meetings with media and buyers. There’ll also be greater indigenous representation on the runway as well as showrooms and talks, with two separate showcases featuring the likes of Ngali, Maara Collective and Liandra Swim.
Also announced today is a list of Changemakers, honoring a collective of the leading names in Australian fashion. They are: Daphne Nguyen, Emma Jarman, Gadir Rajab, Gillian Campbell, Grace Lillian Lee, Joel Babicci, Joel Forman, Jordan Dalah, Jordan Gogos, Justin Ridler, Levi Neufeld, Lisa Cox, Lisa Fatnowna, Mahalia Handley, Manahou Mackay, Nathan Mcguire, Richard Jarman, Rory Rice, Sarah Starkey, Tre Koch and Yatu Widders-Hunt. Each Changemaker will participate in the official schedule in a variety of ways ranging from runway shows to talks.
Opening night at Carriageworks on Monday, 31 May with a special runway for the public at 7.30pm, will feature Romance Was Born.
Australian Fashion Week will take place from May 31 to June 4.
Check out at the schedule here.
