“In New Zealand, if you want a job in fashion, you have to create it for yourself,” says Wynn Hamlyn. He would know; the former surveyor is one of the hottest talents to emerge from the Land of the Long White Cloud.

While Australian fashion is established and sits comfortably – for the most part – in the world of resortwear, Kiwi design is in many ways still figuring itself out. But common threads have emerged. Here are five designers looking to make their names in Australia – another reason we get to call ourselves the lucky country.