Saved: Australian Fashion Week revived with new backers

Australian Fashion Week will go ahead in Sydney next year as the Australian Fashion Council picks up the pieces left by departing owners IMG, which withdrew from the event last month.

The troubled industry showcase of emerging and established fashion brands will take place at Carriageworks from May 12-16. The AFC has enlisted the event’s co-founder, Simon Lock, to return to the runway. Lock sold AFW to IMG in 2005.

“Lock and the AFC are working to assemble a team with extensive fashion week experience to guide the event’s delivery,” AFC chair Marianne Perkovic said in a statement.

Models in Amy Lawrance at Australian Fashion Week in May. The AFC has announced that the event will continue next year.Credit: Getty Images for AFW

“The approach will ensure the event continues to benefit designers, buyers and the entire fashion ecosystem while driving long-term value for the industry.”

Lock has been based in Europe working in digital fashion, and the local landscape has changed considerably since sass & bide, Wayne Cooper, Peter Morrissey and Leona Edmiston were darlings of the runway shows he oversaw.

Dwindling interest from international buyers and complaints about its timing on the fashion calendar; a padded program; and the calibre of participating designers have plagued the event.

Despite these obstacles, the NSW government is backing fashion week’s return to relevance with support from Destination NSW.

“Fashion Week is an essential showcase of one of our largest creative industries, highlighting the depth of talent not only in NSW but throughout Australia,” John Graham, NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, said in a statement.

“The industry has come together swiftly, pulling together its great expertise, to ensure that Fashion Week can go ahead in 2025. The NSW government is pleased to confirm its continued support of the event.”

While AFC has resurrected the event in weeks, competition has already sprung up faster than a new H&M collection. Last week, Jenny Nakkan announced she would bring the trade show Splash Paris to Sydney’s Walsh Bay in May.

Nakkan, who owns the sales agency Elevate and who has worked with Nike, Ksubi and Camilla, was set to partner with IMG at AFW before their surprise departure.

“Splash is thrilled that AFW will be going ahead,” Nakkan said. “Fashion weeks and trade shows complement each other. One highlights creativity and innovation while the other drives direct business and commerce.”

In Paris, the Splash trade show takes place alongside the ready-to-wear shows in February and September.

“Hosting both in Sydney presents an incredible opportunity for our city to rise to the standard of other fashion capitals of the world,” Nakkan said.

Alex Schuman, AFC board member and Carla Zampatti chief executive, is throwing his support behind AFW. His mother, label founder Carla Zampatti, who died in 2021, would regularly skip AFW, but Schuman sees it as crucial for growth.

“We have shifted from being domestically focused to exploring more international opportunities,” Schuman said. “Fashion week will let us take our message to a wider audience.”

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