The Australian fashion industry continues to prove their resilience and what better way to celebrate its triumph than Afterpay Australian Fashion Week?
After a whirlwind 12 months, the week-long trade event will return in full force from May 9 to 13 and feature a myriad of headlining runway shows, talks with vanguard Australian creatives and all the fashion inspiration you can muster.
Now, AAFW and IMG have revealed the schedule of events and programming that boasts 50 live runway shows, presentations, talks with Australian fashion veterans and consumer focus events.
Kicking off the event will be a Welcome to Country produced by First Nations Fashion + Design, a significant and much needed addition to the schedule.
The first runway of the week will be sustainable womenswear designer Bianca Spender, who will return to the prestigious event for the first time since 2018.
It’s an incredibly pivotal moment for the designer, who will be presenting her collection on-site at Carriageworks on the Carla Zampatti runway, named in tribute after her late-mother.
Joining Spender will be hallmark designers including Aje, bassike, BEC+BRIDGE, ESSE, Hansen & Gretel, Oroton, Romance Was Born, St. Agni and Wynn Hamlyn who will be presenting their upcoming resort labels.
Best of all, many of these designers will be presenting a ‘see now, buy now’ model. Meaning if you see something you love on the runway early in the week, you’ll be able to have it in your hot little hands by week’s end.
Now, if only AAFW would drop the timetable so we can start planning our outfits.
If this is your first ever fashion week, head here to read our expert style guide to nailing the perfect ensemble.
