The fight to keep Australian Fashion Week alive and in Sydney

Designers delivering their best Blue Steel expressions, former Vogue editor Edwina McCann and the NSW government have rallied to keep Australian Fashion Week in Sydney, leaving Melbourne out of the picture.

Ksubi creative director Pip Edwards, Camilla Freeman-Topper of Camilla & Marc and Carla Zampatti chief executive Alex Schuman assembled for a photo at the Sydney Opera House with NSW Arts Minister John Graham to support the Australian Fashion Council assuming control of the event that was abandoned by IMG last week.

In an industry where decisions are usually made slowly – French luxury label Chanel still awaits the appointment of a creative director more than five months after Virginie Viard resigned – the not-for-profit AFC has taken a fast-fashion approach.

Members of the fashion community gathered at the Sydney Opera House on Monday to support the Australian Fashion Council’s bid for Australian Fashion Week to return in May, including NSW Arts Minister John Graham, designer Pip Edwards and former Vogue editor, News Corp’s Edwina McCann.Credit:

“I think this is a generational opportunity to transform AFW, so it delivers even greater value for the fashion industry,” says Jaana Quaintance-James, AFC chief executive, who asked the assembled designers to donate and join the membership organisation’s ranks. “It’s an incredibly important platform for Australian brands both domestically and internationally.”

Quaintance-James says further industry consultation will take place but is already fixed on AFW taking place in May 2025 in Sydney, with the support of the NSW government.

Organisers of the Melbourne Fashion Festival, which has run since 1996, are waiting to give their feedback.

“It’s an Australian event and the Australian industry should be represented, no matter where it is,” says Caroline Ralphsmith, MFF chief executive. “Melbourne is a fantastic major event place, with the infrastructure that makes these things special. The geography of it should be less relevant than maximising the overall value of return to the fashion industry.”

A model on the runway at the Carla Zampatti show at Australian Fashion Week in May (left); and the Erik Yvon show at Melbourne Fashion Festival in March.Credit: Getty

Along with location, AFW’s timing is an issue for many designers and industry leaders, with May sitting outside the crucial spring and autumn collections.

“We could have the event in Sydney in August, which is when the store wars took place and David Jones and Myer used to have their shows,” says fashion publicist Adam Worling, who has worked with Carla Zampatti, Lisa Ho and Thread Together. “It’s a time when designers need commercial support. MFF is similarly timed to help designers.”

MFF occurs at the end of February, the same time as Milan and Paris fashion weeks, when designers are eager to promote sales.

Former IMG Fashion head Emily Leiding, who was replaced by Natalie Xenita running AFW in 2016, has concerns with timing as well as AFC’s leadership role.

“We’d all like to see a not-for-profit body run AFW, but we have to ask designers and the industry at large if they feel the AFC has delivered to date,” Leiding says.

“We shouldn’t restrict opinions and ideas behind a membership paywall.

“In the future, AFW could be an industry week with a curated schedule of designers, with no participation costs, no expensive overheads, salaries or egos to feed.”

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