A New Game-Changing Fashion Initiative Promises To Revitalise the Local Industry

In launching its Fashion Sector Strategy this week, NSW has its eyes firmly set on becoming Australia’s fashion state. This first-of-its-kind state government initiative will see $750,000 in funding programs distributed among fashion designers.

Australia exports $7.2 billion worth of fashion annually. NSW’s fashion industry alone contributes $9.7 billion to the state economy and employs more than 174,000 people (77 per cent of whom are female).

But the industry is struggling. After a tumultuous few years – Covid, a shaken-up Australian Fashion Week, the rise of ultra-fast fashion and the rocky road of US tariffs – local fashion has taken a hit.

“Fashion in NSW has always punched above its weight creatively, culturally and commercially. What this strategy does is put real structure around that strength. By investing in skills, space, and visibility, we’re unlocking new opportunities for designers and businesses at every stage,” Jaana Quaintance-James, Australian Fashion Council’s CEO, tells Broadsheet.

The Fashion Sector Strategy aims to be a wide-ranging support system for those in the fashion industry through a six-pillared approach. Co-chaired by Alex Schuman (CEO of Carla Zampatti) and Edwina McCann (editorial director of News Corp Australia’s Prestige Network), the hand-selected working group includes Marc Freeman from Camilla and Marc, Anna Plunkett from Romance Was Born, independent designers Alix Higgins and Grace Lillian Lee, and representatives from the Powerhouse Museum, Australian Fashion Council and the University of Technology Sydney.

There are two main initiatives that will be implemented: the Australian Fashion Hub and the Australian Fashion and Clothing Smart Factory.

The Australian Fashion Hub aims to be a central work area and potential retail space for emerging and established fashion industry participants to collaborate. “Some of our most successful designers, including Nicky Zimmerman, Akira Isogawa, Romance Was Born, Alex Perry, Bianca Spender, Dion Lee [and] Chrisopher Esber, to name a few, all began their careers at Tafe NSW,” said Steve Whan, Minister for Skills, Tafe and Tertiary Education.

The Australian Fashion and Clothing Smart Factory will be a first for the southern hemisphere. This pilot initiative will feature productive and waste-conscious testing, production, development and distribution facilities for short-run, made-to-order collections.

Coinciding with this will be a concerted effort to promote NSW designers on the global stage, connecting local brands with international buyers and connections. Skills and training will be another focus, ensuring that NSW creatives can meet the demands and expectations of our present and future fashion industry. Australian Fashion Week, which calls Sydney home, and Powerhouse Museum will serve as outposts for the strategy.

“It’s about setting NSW up to lead in a rapidly changing industry, and ensuring our creativity translates into jobs, innovation and cultural influence,” Quaintance-James says.

Three notable funding projects have been announced, too. Over the next three years, $250,000 has been set aside for emerging designers to grow their export markets, $300,000 for First Nations and emerging designers to show at Australian Fashion Week, and $200,000 for quick-response grants, used for professional development opportunities and purchasing equipment.

“What excites me is how connected this plan is,” Quaintance-James says. “It’s not one lever – it’s education, hubs, events and showcases all working together. That creates a real pipeline of opportunity: talent can be trained here, supported here, showcased here, and then celebrated on the world stage.”