Aje holds Resort 2022 runway show at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens

Sydney has hosted its first runway show since the COVID pandemic, with Aussie duo Aje showcasing their new collection on a catwalk as stunning as the designs.

Sydney’s iconic Royal Botanic Garden proved the perfect location to kickstart the Australian fashion industry.

With Sydney’s cityscape as the backdrop, top names in fashion sat front row on Tuesday as Aje designers Edwina Forest and Adrian Norris held the first runway show the city has seen since COVID.

Victoria Lee and Georgia Fowler at Aje’s runway fashion parade on Tuesday. Picture: Toby Zerna

“Almost like a metaphor for being in another time or place, we really wanted to celebrate with an explosion of colour and neon prints that also had a bit of a ’60s undertone,” Forest told The Daily Telegraph.

“The collection is derived around the feeling and mood of summer. There’s a lot of signature Aje volume and overblown proportion, but some new sophisticated silhouettes and tactile fabrics too.”

Celebrities sat front row at Aje’s Resort 22 collection showing, including two of Australia’s top international modelling exports, Victoria Lee and Georgia Fowler.

Krew Boylan was pretty in pink. Picture: Matrix

Francesca Hung was thrilled to attend. Picture: Matrix

“It is exciting, slash surreal, slash weird,” Lee said. “All of those feelings together.

“But if you are going to kick it off, in the Botanic Garden in this amazing location is the way to do it.

“We are so lucky we are able to do this given everything that is going on in the world.

“We are really playing to our strengths and showing off our beautiful location, doing it carefully but really embracing the fact that we are lucky enough to be able to hold events and enjoy being outside and being together.”

Fowler, who recently announced she is pregnant with her first child, said: “It is a real vibe. It has been so long since we have had a show. We are very lucky to be able to do this.”

Model and blogger Nikki Phillips. Picture: Matrix

Fashion blogger Kate Waterhouse. Picture: Matrix

The circular runway gave everyone a front-row seat. Picture: Toby Zerna

Guests attending the 2022 show in The Calyx were unusually on time and full of energy, appearing to be clearly excited to share in the fashion moment.

A diverse range of models took to the runway, including industry veteran Emma Balfour, up-and-coming Indigenous model Billiejean Hamlet, and Cameron Stephens, who closed the show.

Actor Krew Boylan stood out in a pink ensemble, commenting on the seating, where each chair had a lemon with a number written in black marker.

“I loved the fruit bearing seat,” she said. “Positive Sydney at its best.”

Avoiding any front-row seat controversy, everyone scored a prime position around the circular runway.

Anna Heinrich all in white. Picture: Matrix

Designer Collette Dinnigan supported her pals. Picture: Matrix

The Calyx provided a stunning backdrop to the designs. Picture: Toby Zerna

Yvonne Weldon gave a moving welcome to country before festivities began.

A large lemon tree in the middle of The Calyx water display was the centrepiece of the runway as models made their way around the yellow catwalk.

Also front and centre were the likes of Kate Waterhouse, Grace Huang, Francesca Hung and Anna Heinrich.

Aje designers Adrian Norris and Edwina Forest with model Lucy Baddeley. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Veteran designer Collette Dinnigan was there to support her friends.

“It just lifts everyone’s spirits,” she said. “The collection is really fantastic and well done. We do it so well here in Australia. It is very special.”

Dinnigan, who has over recent years pulled back on her work in fashion, hinted at a return to the frontline of the industry.

“I have started in my studio,” she said. “I have got my archive and my fabrics. I am pottering.”

There were a few fashion faux pas — one influencer tried way too hard to replicate Bottega Venetta’s knee-high leather boot look, while another wore a dress with a split so high you could see everything.