Esse Studios’ opening look at Australian Fashion Week 2022. Image credit: Lucas Dawson Photography
But as a showcase of talent, fashion weeks still play an important role. For Hicks, it marked an important moment in her brand. “In 2022 we were all just coming out of the pandemic and it felt like the perfect time to have a moment, and announce to the world what Esse is about, showing at Australian Fashion Week did just that,” she says, “as a designer that has been in this industry for so long, personally, it almost felt like all the decades of hard work fell into place and for that I am so grateful.”
It’s widely appreciated that Australian Fashion Week is a vital stepping stone for emerging designers entering the global market, something Nicky Zimmerman dubbed a “launching pad” in Vogue Business. But for designers not as established as those with a global business, it is also understood that this pivotal stage still has a high cost for entry, something Hicks, Crawshaw, and Hershan all elucidated in their experiences. Amidst the wider luxury slowdown and adapting business tactics, even with the celebratory elements of shows, the struggles are by no means unique to just these designers. Many emerging designers in Australia are faced with speed bumps to continue their business, even if the rewards of the showing are within vision, and especially as more established names migrate to overseas fashion weeks.
Australian Fashion Week doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it relies on the designers just as much as designers benefit from it. The fight to support emerging and established designers is not unique to Australia, but a universal tale of fashion. For us consumers, noticing a favourite designer missing from schedule is a sign of the times, yes, but can also be read as a cue to play our part. They’re off-schedule, but still there, and needing our support.
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