Just In: Australian Fashion Week’s Designer Line-Up Is Here

Australian Fashion Week (AFW) is back for its 30th year, and its second year under the Australian Fashion Council’s (AFC) ownership. Today, the event’s long-awaited designer line-up has been announced. 

Held in Sydney from May 11 to 15, AFW will be stationed at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, with off-site satellite locations to be dotted around the city. 

Kellie Hush, fashion director of AFW, previously told Broadsheet that over 100 designers applied to be part of the week. So far, 29 designers have been announced, with more names to come. 

Returning for the first time in a decade, Toni Maticevski is presenting a salon show. Joining him on the schedule are esteemed industry peers Carla Zampatti, Aje, Bianca Spender and Ngali. Designers known for putting on a show, including Iordanes Spyridon Gogos, Nicol & Ford, Alix Higgins and Gary Bigeni are back for another year.

Contemporary new-wave designers Commas, Esse, Common Hours, Courtney Zheng, Hansen & Gretel and Nagnata will also be putting on solo shows. And to dress things up, designers Christian Kimber, Farage, Mariam Seddiq and L’Idee will showcase their collections of premium formalwear and eveningwear. There’ll also be two dedicated First Nations shows by designers Buluuy Mirrii and Van Ermel Scherer, and a student showcase by FDS: The Innovators.

This year’s New Generation group show, which sees the best of Australia’s emerging talent, will include Alberta Bucciarelli, Edition Alice Van Meurs x Sarrita King, Gloria Chol and King King Creative. Meanwhile, The Frontier group show, which amplifies local designers already on the rise, will see Haluminous, Madre Natura, Ouse, Paris Jade Burrows and Suzaan Stander take to the stage.

At the line-up announcement, Hush said, “This year marks a sharper, more dynamic evolution of the event, where culture, creativity and commerce converge to position Australian fashion firmly in the global spotlight.”

For the latest on AFW, head to the event website.