From being dubbed “Trend Weak” by British trend author Susan Owens in its infancy to changing into Australia’s sartorial reply to Paris and Milan, Australian Trend Week (AFW) has traversed a outstanding journey. What began as a daring regional experiment is now a globally revered type 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 will be. It’s 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 recent 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 type not like wherever else on the planet.

Australian Trend Week At A Look

Based in 1996 by Simon Lock, a public relations advisor 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 instances unsure, dealing with the whole lot from {industry} skepticism to logistical chaos. In its earliest iteration, the occasion was generally known as Mercedes Australian Trend Week, because of the luxurious automaker’s backing—a strategic transfer that aligned Australian type with international luxurious branding. The affiliation with Mercedes-Benz lent instant credibility to a fledgling occasion nonetheless discovering its toes. However it 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 enormous worldwide community. Since then, AFW has grown into a cultured, globally revered platform, one which fuses the experimental power 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 posh 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 not trend’s afterthought—it was a vacation spot.

  • 2006–2010s: Rosemount Property

The beloved Australian wine model ushered in a decadent way of life period, the place backyard events met runways and trend fused with indulgence. Below the Rosemount Australian Trend Week banner, the occasion leaned into native allure with a worldwide 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 big 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. Recognized for high-performance hair instruments and modern innovation, Shark Magnificence is greater than a sponsor—it’s a backstage powerhouse. Count on 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 type, utility, and spectacle.

The Australian Trend Council: A New Starting for AFW

As Australian Trend Week (AFW) enters a brand new chapter in 2025, one of the vital vital modifications has been the formation of the Australian Trend 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 offer a significant platform for designers to thrive. The 2025 version at Carriageworks is about to not solely honor the previous but additionally 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 method to AFW.

So, Again to the Current: Australian Trend Week 2025

When and The place Is It Taking place?

Venue: Carriageworks, Sydney

Dates: Might 12 to 16, 2025

Count on a full week of runway exhibits; rising designer-showcases, magnificence activations, and cultural conversations—all set towards Sydney’s urban-industrial fashionable backdrop.

Who Owns and Operates Australian Trend Week?

AFW is owned and operated by IMG Trend Occasions and Properties, Asia Pacific, a division of the worldwide leisure, sports activities, and trend company IMG. They oversee all elements of the occasion—from curation and designer choice to sponsorship and manufacturing—making certain a worldwide commonplace of execution.

The Path and Goal of AFW: Extra Than Simply Garments

AFW has all the time 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:

  • Shopper-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 exhibits goal patrons, stylists, editors, and different insiders. The main target right here is on long-lead affect 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—will be prohibitive, usually muting a few of trend’s most daring new voices. Right here, the function of sponsorship turns into much less about branding and extra about equitable entry and artistic survival.

Was the Australian Trend Week 2025 Virtually Cancelled?

Earlier this yr, whispers of a possible AFW cancellation despatched tremors by way of the {industry}. Lowered 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?

Moreover its very survival, AFW 2025 brings some massive upgrades:

  • 4K Livestreams + AR Enhancements: A world digital viewers can take pleasure in front-row experiences and backstage entry like by no means earlier than.
  • First Nations Trend + Design Showcase: Now a every day characteristic, 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 will likely 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 recent power—merging trend with efficiency artwork, activism, and future-facing themes.

Rising Trend Developments from AFW 2025

From the early runways and press previews, just a few standout themes are setting the tone for the season:

  • Desert-Core: Impartial tones, uncooked textures, sun-faded hues—assume windswept minimalism meets outback romance.

  • Techno-Tailoring: Sensible supplies and modular silhouettes redefine precision dressing for the longer term.

  • Draped Minimalism: Clear strains, fluid quantity, and easy motion create quiet affect.

  • Nature Punk: Rebellious power meets darkish florals, recycled materials, and earthy edge.

  • Inclusive Design: Genderless cuts, adaptive items, and expanded sizing embrace radical inclusivity.

  • 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 Trend Week

Attend in Individual

Public tickets can be found for choose exhibits and occasions. Go to the official web site australianfashionweek.com to order.

Watch On-line

All main runway exhibits are live-streamed in excessive definition through the AFW web site and YouTube channel.

Social Protection

Comply with real-time updates, appears, and backstage moments utilizing hashtags like #AFW2025 and #SharkBeautyRunway.

What Australian Trend Week Means for the World Market

AFW is more and more a launching pad for international relevance. Its affect travels far past Sydney—from Paris showrooms to Web-a-Porter listings. Designers who get away at AFW usually safe worldwide stockists, movie star placements, and media protection that propels their model onto the worldwide radar. In a time when the style world craves recent 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:

  • Put up-show buzz drives searches and demand for present and classic items by AFW designers.
  • Runway standouts usually grow to be extremely wanted on resale platforms, particularly when stock is proscribed.
  • As sustainability and round trend grow to be 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 class as Carla Zampatti’s sixtieth anniversary tribute set the tone for the week.

Australian Trend 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 rejoice 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 girl it honoured.

Set towards the placing backdrop of the Museum of Modern 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 clothes, 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 Frequent Hours, showcasing Australian and Kiwi design.

Charlotte Hicks’s “see now, purchase now” assortment centered on creating an instantaneous connection along with her viewers by way of luxe leather-based separates and chic silhouettes.

Frequent 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 introduced relaxed menswear separates.

Farage wrapped up Day 2 with a extremely anticipated present marking its return to AFW after 30 years.

Highlights of Day 3:

Day 3 witnessed trend fluidity, legacy labels, and rising voices. 

Aje made a assured return to the runway with a set filled with motion—ruffles, lace tiers, sheer pleats, and ombré textures. Designers Adrian Norris and Edwina Forrest leaned into authenticity, exhibiting appears styled for actual Australian lives.

Bianca Spender introduced Deliquesce, a serene and emotionally resonant assortment impressed by transformation and ocean swimming. Silks, drapes, and a tender monochrome palette conveyed a quiet, private evolution, whereas a brand new swimwear line marked a recent course.

Alix Higgins continued to command consideration together with his word-printed items and signature play on text-as-fashion, bringing mental edge to the runway.

Courtney Zheng, the Chinese language-Australian designer recognized for dressing Troye Sivan, made her AFW debut. Clear strains, luxe materials, and quiet confidence outlined her minimalist but highly effective aesthetic.

Dan Single, Ksubi co-founder, marked the label’s twenty fifth anniversary with the launch of his e book The Diary of a Naughtie Child, reflecting on his near-fatal 2017 fall and artistic rebirth.

Road Model Highlight: Bag charms stole the present—notably Labubu toys, now extra coveted than Birkins amongst trend insiders. The playful accent pattern is evolving right into a street-style standing image.

Road Model & Material Developments at AFW 2025

Greatest Road Model

Whereas AFW 2025 showcased excessive trend on the runway, the road type outdoors Carriageworks was equally fascinating. Trend-forward attendees, together with creatives and influencers, embraced daring, eclectic appears—highlighting an appreciation for individuality. From assertion equipment to casual-chic combos, the road type mirrored a seamless mix of luxurious and laid-back Aussie aptitude.

Sheer Materials

Sheer materials had been a key pattern this yr, making their presence recognized on a number of runways. Mild, 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 clothes at Lee Mathews or dramatic sheer panels at different exhibits, these materials dominated the 2025 collections, including texture and visible intrigue.

Trend’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 the whole lot from reimagined resortwear to Indigenous excellence.

From Carla Zampatti’s iconic tailoring to Lee Mathews’ easy silhouettes, this season affirmed a core reality: nice type endures. Simply because the runway revisits and reinvents the classics, right this moment’s trend lovers are rediscovering the lasting enchantment of high quality—whether or not recent off the catwalk or revived by way of 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 all the time come model new. Pre-loved designer treasures, like these curated by The Luxurious Closet, echo the very ethos AFW 2025 celebrates: craftsmanship, sustainability, and enduring type.