From being dubbed “Style Weak” by British trend author Susan Owens in its infancy to changing into Australia’s sartorial reply to Paris and Milan, Australian Style Week (AFW) has traversed a outstanding journey. What began as a daring regional experiment is now a globally revered model spectacle. Celebrating outback aesthetics and high-gloss runway glam, the occasion has matured into one of many world’s most intriguing cultural and industrial forces, rewriting the narrative of what Australian trend may be. It’s now not nearly garments however about letting the world sit up and take discover of the Australian trend scene- designers and their craftsmanship, expertise, and experimentation.
Now in its 2025 version, AFW returns with heightened goal, a near-cancellation drama, a legacy tribute to Carla Zampatti, and a brand new sponsor—Shark Magnificence—signaling a contemporary alignment of magnificence tech and trend futurism. From the entrance row at Carriageworks to reside streams beamed globally, the week guarantees runway revelations, digital disruptions, and directional model not like wherever else on the earth.
Australian Style Week At A Look
Based in 1996 by Simon Lock, a public relations guide and former reporter of ski journal, AFW started as a regional showcase to spice up Australian design expertise on the world stage. Its debut was scrappy, rebellious, and at occasions unsure, dealing with every part from {industry} skepticism to logistical chaos. In its earliest iteration, the occasion was often called Mercedes Australian Style Week, due to the posh automaker’s backing—a strategic transfer that aligned Australian model with world luxurious branding. The affiliation with Mercedes-Benz lent fast credibility to a fledgling occasion nonetheless discovering its ft. But it surely lacked polish; Lock’s ambition was clear: to create a platform that might elevate homegrown expertise to worldwide prominence. And whereas his imaginative and prescient paved the way in which, the equipment wanted to evolve.
In 2005, Lock bought the occasion to IMG, the worldwide powerhouse that now produces trend weeks in New York, London, and Milan. With that sale got here construction, status, and entry to an unlimited worldwide community. Since then, AFW has grown into a refined, globally revered platform, one which fuses the experimental vitality of its roots with the strategic precision of the style world’s elite.
The Evolution of Sponsorship: The Runway Timeline
- 1996–2005: Mercedes-Benz
The luxurious automaker gave AFW its first main increase, lending European gravitas to a scrappy newcomer. Because the inaugural naming rights sponsor, Mercedes-Benz made it clear: Australia was now not trend’s afterthought—it was a vacation spot.
- 2006–2010s: Rosemount Property
The beloved Australian wine model ushered in a decadent life-style period, the place backyard events met runways and trend fused with indulgence. Underneath the Rosemount Australian Style Week banner, the occasion leaned into native allure with a world wink.
With Afterpay, the runway grew to become immediately shoppable. This was the age of trend meets fintech, the place digital democratization allowed viewers to “see now, purchase now” in real-time. It marked a paradigm shift towards consumer-first trend.
The jewellery large introduced emotional resonance to the runway. By way of themes of id and self-expression, Pandora’s involvement mirrored a want for extra private storytelling in trend, each on and off the catwalk.
The most recent chapter is all about tech-savvy transformation. Identified for high-performance hair instruments and smooth innovation, Shark Magnificence is greater than a sponsor—it’s a backstage powerhouse. Anticipate salon-quality styling lounges, digital activations, and a brand new dialog round magnificence and efficiency.
Briefly, every sponsor has not solely funded the style occasion—they’ve reshaped the runway’s cultural forex. In 2025, Shark Magnificence indicators a polished, tech-driven future for AFW that blurs the boundaries between model, utility, and spectacle.
The Australian Style Council: A New Starting for AFW
As Australian Style Week (AFW) enters a brand new chapter in 2025, one of the vital important modifications has been the formation of the Australian Style Council (AFC). Following the announcement of IMG’s exit in late 2024, the way forward for Australia’s premier trend occasion was unsure. Nonetheless, the AFC’s involvement has paved the way in which for a daring and industry-led reboot of AFW.
With a mission to strengthen the Australian trend {industry}, the AFC is now steering the occasion alongside Vacation spot NSW. This new partnership marks a dedication to showcasing the dynamic expertise in established and rising Australian trend whereas making certain the occasion continues to supply a significant platform for designers to thrive. The 2025 version at Carriageworks is about to not solely honor the previous but in addition redefine the way forward for Australian trend.
By empowering native designers, fostering {industry} collaboration, and selling sustainable practices, the AFC’s management indicators a extra inclusive and forward-thinking strategy to AFW.
So, Again to the Current: Australian Style Week 2025
When and The place Is It Taking place?
Venue: Carriageworks, Sydney
Dates: Might 12 to 16, 2025
Anticipate a full week of runway reveals; rising designer-showcases, magnificence activations, and cultural conversations—all set towards Sydney’s urban-industrial trendy backdrop.
Who Owns and Operates Australian Style Week?
AFW is owned and operated by IMG Style Occasions and Properties, Asia Pacific, a division of the worldwide leisure, sports activities, and trend company IMG. They oversee all facets of the occasion—from curation and designer choice to sponsorship and manufacturing—making certain a world commonplace of execution.
The Path and Objective of AFW: Extra Than Simply Garments
AFW has at all times been a runway, however now it mirrors the {industry}’s ambitions and anxieties. In 2025, the occasion displays a posh new trend panorama that calls for creativity and commerce.
AFW serves two distinct functions for designers:
- Client-Centered Reveals: These are tailor-made for audiences buying public tickets, pushed by immediacy and digital engagement. Assume see-now-buy-now trend moments.
- Business-Solely Showcases: These invite-only reveals goal patrons, stylists, editors, and different insiders. The main focus right here is on long-lead impression and wholesale negotiations.
However even because the platform grows in status, the monetary pressure on rising designers stays stark. The price of participation—venue rent, mannequin charges, manufacturing scale—may be prohibitive, usually muting a few of trend’s most daring new voices. Right here, the position of sponsorship turns into much less about branding and extra about equitable entry and inventive survival.
Was the Australian Style Week 2025 Nearly Cancelled?
Earlier this 12 months, whispers of a possible AFW cancellation despatched tremors by the {industry}. Decreased funding, escalating manufacturing prices, and sponsorship uncertainty introduced the occasion to a standstill—till Shark Magnificence stepped in to avoid wasting the season.
The last-minute lifeline not solely salvaged the showcase however signaled a shift: this isn’t simply an occasion of cultural significance; it’s a enterprise necessity—for designers, editors, patrons, and the better luxurious ecosystem.
What’s New in 2025?
In addition to its very survival, AFW 2025 brings some massive upgrades:
- 4K Livestreams + AR Enhancements: A worldwide digital viewers can take pleasure in front-row experiences and backstage entry like by no means earlier than.
- First Nations Style + Design Showcase: Now a every day function, not only a one-off present—highlighting Indigenous storytelling and sustainability.
- Eco-Innovation Pavilion: Devoted to round trend, upcycling, and biodegradable textiles.
- Magnificence Tech Integration: Shark Magnificence’s affect shall be seen on and off the runway, from hairstyles to tech demos.
Prime Designers & Runway Highlights to Watch
- Zimmermann: Resort-ready romanticism and sun-soaked luxurious.
- Christopher Esber: Architectural minimalism and subversive tailoring.
- Ngali: Elevating Indigenous artistry with cultural reverence.
- Alemais: Artwork-forward, eccentric layering, and maximalist allure.
- Strateas Carlucci: Monochrome mastery with edgy, gender-fluid cuts.
Rising stars like Beare Park, Youkhana, and Iordanes Spyridon Gogos are including contemporary vitality—merging trend with efficiency artwork, activism, and future-facing themes.
Rising Style Developments from AFW 2025
From the early runways and press previews, just a few standout themes are setting the tone for the season:
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Desert-Core: Impartial tones, uncooked textures, sun-faded hues—suppose windswept minimalism meets outback romance.
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Techno-Tailoring: Good supplies and modular silhouettes redefine precision dressing for the long run.
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Draped Minimalism: Clear strains, fluid quantity, and easy motion create quiet impression.
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Nature Punk: Rebellious vitality meets darkish florals, recycled materials, and earthy edge.
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Inclusive Design: Genderless cuts, adaptive items, and expanded sizing embrace radical inclusivity.
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Model Echoes: Fringing particulars, vintage-inspired silhouettes, and refreshing sorbet shades add texture, nostalgia, and a touch of playfulness.
The way to Attend or Watch Australian Style Week
Attend in Individual
Public tickets can be found for choose reveals and occasions. Go to the official web site australianfashionweek.com to order.
Watch On-line
All main runway reveals are live-streamed in excessive definition through the AFW web site and YouTube channel.
Social Protection
Comply with real-time updates, seems to be, and backstage moments utilizing hashtags like #AFW2025 and #SharkBeautyRunway.
What Australian Style Week Means for the World Market
AFW is more and more a launching pad for world relevance. Its affect travels far past Sydney—from Paris showrooms to Web-a-Porter listings. Designers who escape at AFW usually safe worldwide stockists, celeb placements, and media protection that propels their model onto the worldwide radar. In a time when the style world craves contemporary views, AFW’s distinct Australian lens—sun-drenched, resourceful, rebellious—units it aside.
AFW’s Affect on the Luxurious Sale and Resale Market
AFW doesn’t simply dictate what’s in—it shapes what holds worth:
- Submit-show buzz drives searches and demand for present and classic items by AFW designers.
- Runway standouts usually develop into extremely wanted on resale platforms, particularly when stock is restricted.
- As sustainability and round trend develop into central themes, pre-owned luxurious sees a halo impact—shoppers need items with a narrative, a goal, and long-term worth.
Highlights of Day 1:
Day 1 kicked off with a robust mix of emotion and magnificence as Carla Zampatti’s sixtieth anniversary tribute set the tone for the week.
Australian Style Week opened with a commemorative runway present, archival retrospectives, and a capsule assortment by rising designers—all impressed by Zampatti’s empowering silhouettes and timeless imaginative and prescient. However this wasn’t only a homage—it was a symbolic passing of the torch, led by her son and CEO of the home, Alex Schuman. Decided to honour her legacy whereas steering the model into its subsequent period, Schuman infused the present with the identical spirit of generosity and innovation that outlined his mom’s profession.
To have fun the milestone, a one-off tribute assortment featured reinterpretations of the Zampatti aesthetic by a powerhouse lineup of Australian designers: Michael Lo Sordo, Pip Edwards, Toni Maticevski, Romance Was Born, Gail Sorronda, Package Willow, Akira Isogawa, Iordanes Spyridon Gogos, Alix Higgins, Grace Lillian Lee, Mariam Seddiq, and Bianca Spender. Every introduced their very own inventive lens to the legacy—leading to a present as daring, collaborative, and visionary as the lady it honoured.
Set towards the putting backdrop of the Museum of Up to date Artwork, the runway captured sweeping views of Sydney Harbour, with the Opera Home and Harbour Bridge anchoring each shot. It was a visible and emotional excessive level—becoming for a designer whose imprint on Australian trend stays indelible.
Highlights of Day 2:
Day 2 noticed Lee Mathews mark 25 years in trend with a set celebrating her journey, that includes breezy attire, applique florals, and utilitarian items; it was a reclamation of quiet luxurious, with sheer layering, artisanal bows, and breathable materials. Attended by celebrities like Nigella Lawson and Isabel Lucas, her present mirrored each a tribute and a celebration of her development. Her assortment wasn’t chasing virality—it was a reminder that subtlety, too, can command consideration.
The Frontier Present featured high expertise like Wynn Hamlyn, Paris Georgia, and Amber Keating’s Widespread Hours, showcasing Australian and Kiwi design.
Charlotte Hicks’s “see now, purchase now” assortment centered on creating a right away connection together with her viewers by luxe leather-based separates and stylish silhouettes.
Widespread Hours’ Amber Keating embraced streamlined items with daring textures, evoking a way of assist for the {industry}.
Nagnata debuted with a brand new denim line and expanded knitwear assortment, whereas Joseph & James offered relaxed menswear separates.
Farage wrapped up Day 2 with a extremely anticipated present marking its return to AFW after 30 years.
Avenue Model & Cloth Developments at AFW 2025
Finest Avenue Model
Whereas AFW 2025 showcased excessive trend on the runway, the road model outdoors Carriageworks was equally charming. Style-forward attendees, together with creatives and influencers, embraced daring, eclectic seems to be—highlighting an appreciation for individuality. From assertion equipment to casual-chic combos, the road model mirrored a seamless mix of luxurious and laid-back Aussie aptitude.
Sheer Materials
Sheer materials had been a key pattern this 12 months, making their presence identified on a number of runways. Gentle, flowing, and infrequently layered, these materials added a contact of sensuality and class to collections. Whether or not within the type of sheer pink maxi attire at Lee Mathews or dramatic sheer panels at different reveals, these materials dominated the 2025 collections, including texture and visible intrigue.
Style’s Timeless Edge: The place Craftsmanship Meets Innovation
AFW 2025 isn’t only a showcase—it’s a cultural barometer, capturing the place trend, sustainability, and innovation intersect. Because the Southern Hemisphere’s premier trend week, it fuses uncooked creativity with forward-thinking design, spotlighting every part from reimagined resortwear to Indigenous excellence.
From Carla Zampatti’s iconic tailoring to Lee Mathews’ easy silhouettes, this season affirmed a core reality: nice model endures. Simply because the runway revisits and reinvents the classics, at the moment’s trend lovers are rediscovering the lasting attraction of high quality—whether or not contemporary off the catwalk or revived by pre-owned luxurious.
It’s a reminder that traditional designs aren’t simply admired, they’re collected. And probably the most coveted items don’t at all times come model new. Pre-loved designer treasures, like these curated by The Luxury Closet, echo the very ethos AFW 2025 celebrates: craftsmanship, sustainability, and enduring model.
