Pip Edwards Makes Her Australian Fashion Week Comeback

PE Nation. Ksubi. Sass & Bide. General Pants Co. Bond-Eye. The list of Australian fashion labels that Pip Edwards has co-founded, worked on or collaborated with is already impressive. Now she’s added a new brand to the mix.

L’Idée Woman, the Perth-born label known for its dramatic pleats, eye-catching colour and dynamic, fluid evening dresses, has enlisted Edwards as creative director for its Australian Fashion Week runway show. And she’s also helping with the official afterparty.

“I’ve always been drawn to brands that have a clear DNA, and L’idée is exactly that. It’s unapologetic,” Edwards says. “For me, it was always about that intersection of art and fashion.”

And this new collection definitely toes the line between the two. It’s vibrant and saturated with electric pops of colour, with silhouettes and movement that feel almost sculptural.

“It feels less like occasion wear and more like a high-fashion statement for the modern woman who wants to be noticed.”

Of course, the pleats are the start of the show – expect to see the label’s signature motifs on full display during the Fashion Week runway on May 14. “In any fashion show, it’s about energy and, with L’Idée, the pleats are the heartbeat,” Edwards says. “My role is just to make sure everyone else can hear it loud and clear when that first look hits the floor.”

Edwards has spent months working on the show, selecting music that has “the same pulse as the architectural swing of the pleats” and working with one of the world’s oldest pleating houses to engineer light-responsive sculptures that amplify the fluidity and movement of pieces on the runway.

“Honestly, once that final look clears the runway and the music fades, it’s always this incredible, high-octane cocktail of pure relief and total electric buzzing,” she says. “There is nothing like the adrenaline of a live show; it’s months of technical precision and creative tension all coming to a head in less than 12 minutes.”

After the show, she’ll let it all sink in: the hard work, the pay-off, the sense of pride, the team’s accomplishments, the vision and how they brought it to life. She might even start ruminating on future projects and thinking of what’s next. And then she’s off again, this time getting ready for the official Australian Fashion Week afterparty, hosted by Tequila Don Julio 1942 with help from L'Idée Woman.

“Look, if we’re partnering with Tequila Don Julio 1942, you already know the vibe is going to be … completely top-shelf. A L’Idée Woman party isn’t just a post-show drink; it’s an extension of the runway’s energy, where that structural elegance meets a raw, late-night pulse,” she says.

Guests to the invite-only event can expect a visually electric room drenched in the same saturated hues they would’ve seen down the catwalk, with music by DJ Dan Lywood playing throughout the evening. Of course, the drinks list will be as bold and timeless as the pleats, with sharp cocktails and Don Julio 1942 minis making the rounds.

You’ll find Edwards with a Tommy’s Margarita, clinking to a successful week for the Sydney sartorial set.

“It’s the ultimate insider’s drink: stripped back, refined and totally effortless. You’ve got that premium tequila punch, the brightness of the fresh lime, and just enough agave to keep it smooth.”

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Don Julio.