Mark your calendars: Australian Fashion Week returns to Sydney from 11–15 May 2026, and the Australian Fashion Council has just dropped the designer lineup we’ve been waiting for.
This year, AFW makes a stunning new home at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, perched on Sydney Harbour — a backdrop as iconic as the talent it will showcase. Presenting partner Shark Beauty is back for another year, cementing the natural synergy between fashion and beauty that made their inaugural partnership such a hit.
The runway roster reads like a love letter to Australian fashion. Returning favourites Aje, Bianca Spender, Toni Maticevski and Carla Zampatti anchor the program with the kind of assured, world-class craft that has long defined Australian fashion at its finest. Around them, familiar faces Alix Higgins, COMMAS, Common Hours, Farage, Hansen & Gretel and Iordanes Spyridon Gogos return to push the boundaries of what Australian design can say — and who it speaks to. Joining them are equally exciting names: L’IDÉE, Mariam Seddiq, ESSE, Nagnata, Ngali, Nicol & Ford and Christian Kimber.
But it’s the next generation stealing early buzz. The New Gen showcase, presented by DHL, spotlights emerging designers Alberta Bucciarelli, Gloria Chol, KingKing Creative and the electrifying collaboration EDITION Alice Van Meurs x Sarrita King. Then, there’s FDS: The Innovators, which is yet to be announced.
Culturally, the program goes deeper than ever. The Frontier — a dedicated group show in partnership with Create NSW — platforms rising cult favourites including Haluminous, madre natura and Paris Jade Burrows, while two dedicated First Nations runway shows from Buluuy Mirrii and van Ermel Scherer promise to be among the week’s most powerful moments.
Speaking at this morning’s designer announcement breakfast, AFW Fashion Director Kellie Hush said the 2026 program represents “a sharper, more dynamic evolution of the event, where culture, creativity and commerce converge to position Australian fashion firmly in the global spotlight.”
Australian Fashion Week 2026 Lineup
Main Schedule
- Aje
- Alix Higgins
- Bianca Spender
- Carla Zampatti
- Christian Kimber
- COMMAS
- Common Hours
- Courtney Zheng
- ESSE
- Farage
- Gary Bigeni
- Hansen & Gretel
- Iordanes Spyridon Gogos
- L’IDÉE
- Mariam Seddiq
- Nagnata
- Ngali
- Nicol & Ford
- Toni Maticevski
The Frontier
- Haluminous
- madre natura
- Ouse
- Paris Jade Burrows
- Suzaan Stander
New Gen (presented by DHL)
- Alberta Bucciarelli
- EDITION Alice Van Meurs x Sarrita King
- Gloria Chol
- KingKing Creative
First Nations Runway Shows
- Buluuy Mirrii
- van Ermel Scherer
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