Five emerging designers making their debut at Australian Fashion Week
Two Vogue Australia editors sit down with the designers they’re eager to see on the runway this week.
May is the sartorialist’s Christmas. There’s the Met Gala, of course, which assumes the first Monday of the month; earlier this week, the stars flocked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art suited to the nines, as demanded by the year’s dress code, “Tailored For You”. And then, right on the heels of the Costume Institute’s bonanza, the frenzy moves from New York to the heart of Sydney city, with the coming of Australian Fashion Week (AFW) and the start of the resort season.
What to expect at Australian Fashion Week in 2025? As you might have heard, the international trade show has gotten somewhat of a makeover this year, with IMG stepping down as primary operator, a role they had occupied for two decades, and the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) stepping in, alongside Shark Beauty as title sponsor. They’ve given the usual five day schedule a quick trim, concentrating the shows into a four-day period, with only a showcase from Carla Zampatti and the opening party teasing the week ahead, at the close of Monday.
Some elements, though, remain unchanged. Once again, Carriageworks will play host to the majority of runway shows and panel talks, with a smattering of designers hosting their presentations off-site and off the official schedule. Lee Mathews, Romance Was Born and Nicol & Ford are household names that are far from unfamiliar in that regard; for resort 2026 they’ll be returning with another chapter of their vision of Australian style. So too will cult designers like Alix Higgins, Albus Lumen and Iordanes Spyridon Gogos command a fair share of the attention. They’re certainly shows that the Vogue editors have already earmarked as season highlights.
But one of the most exciting aspects of AFW are the designer debuts. These emerging talents are putting on a Carriageworks show, solo or as part of a collective, for the very first time. It’s an event, after all, that’s been the proving ground for creatives like Dion Lee and Christopher Esber. Both are homegrown visionaries who’ve since acquired an international fanbase. Sitting front row for a presentation, and watching the lights dim, hearing that collective intake of breath before the first look comes down the catwalk, you can’t help but wonder: is this the next big thing?
Here, Vogue sits down with five designers making their solo or collective debut at 2025 Australian Fashion Week.
Haluminous
Haluminous began as Hannah Kim’s well of emotive release. “In a time when fashion often feels repetitive or rushed, I still believe in its power to connect. I hope Haluminous reminds people that clothing can be imaginative, protective, and emotionally resonant,” the designer tells Vogue. “My plan is to keep building Haluminous with care and intention. I want to develop wearable and emotional pieces, and work with ethical manufacturers who understand the importance of fabric and feel. Whether the collaboration is with local partners or international ones, the goal is always quality, communication and storytelling.” The Korean designer operates out of a small business and consignment store, Reborne Shop, home to a number of cutting edge labels, including the likes of Speed, Aeie Studio and Nii Hai.
The rotation at Reborne mirrors the fabric throughline of a Haluminous collection – darkness without being somber, contemporary without the anachronistic categorisation of a single trend tail. You can expect bodiced armourwear shaped like the skeleton of a fish, or translucent evening gowns with trumpet sleeves, dripping with iridescent beads. This year’s presentation, titled Liminal Space, is the aftermath of Kim’s time reconnecting with herself in southeast Asia.
Taking merit from Carl Jung’s concept of individuation, similarly, at Fashion Week, Haluminous will traverse the journey from shadow to light—from the internal fold to the story Kim is ready to present to the world. She says, “Haluminous has always felt like a hidden treasure. Now, it is ready to be shared as armour, identity, and something meaningful for others to carry. It’s no longer about escape, but connection. I’m learning to let others in, and to create from a place that is both emotional and open. I’m designing as myself, for others like me.” — Karen Leong, content editor
Courtney Zheng
When Courtney Zheng designs, she’s paying it forward. The Australian-Chinese designer grew up between Sydney and Guangzhou in a family of textile manufacturers and production engineers. “Starting the label was a way to carry that legacy, while building something of my own,” she tells Vogue. “It’s allowed me to work closely with the team I inherited—people who’ve worked with my parents and grandparents—while using the process as a form of creative expression. The label has become a space to sharpen my design instincts, deepen my understanding of fabric and construction, and learn—often through trial and error—how to run and grow a business with intention.”
Zheng founded her eponymous label in 2023. Finding a distinct voice is something that young creatives often struggle with, but not two years in and Zheng has already established a vision of style that is unquestionably hers. Clean lines, a focus on everyday luxury, elevated texture and fabrics, and a sharp minimalism—Zheng specialises in tailoring that’s both precise and soft, as well as eveningwear that tastes of the ’90s. Of showing at AFW as part of collective show ‘The Frontier’ alongside Paris Georgia, Wynn Hamlyn and Esse, among others, Zheng says that “it’s incredibly special”. “My latest collection is my proudest achievement to date,” she continues. “Leather is a category I’ve always intended on developing—it’s part of my DNA. This collection also marked a return to my roots in denim manufacturing, reworking it across unexpected silhouettes.”
Past AFW, Zheng is hoping to grow her brand’s global presence. Mostly though, she wants to take stock of how far she’s already come. “I’m acknowledging the milestones along the way, and being thankful for the hard work and dedication of everyone who’s part of this journey,” she says. “I can really feel the momentum building.” — Gladys Lai, Vogue head of brand
Catholic Guilt
There’s a romance inherent to Catholic Guilt. It might be their ecclesial armour, forged of chainmail and stainless steel. Or it could be the religious symbols recalling the namesake of the brand—ornate crosses, hearts aflame, and the virgin Mother Mary, interspersed against the barbed wire of their deadstock two-piece sets. The label has acquired the attention of Julia Fox, who wore a head-to-toe chainmail dress fashioned from thousands of individual jump rings for the National Gallery of Victoria Gala last year.
Ahead of their debut show at Wings Independent Fashion Festival, founder Ella Jackson speaks to Vogue about their runway collection, Down in the Water. In memoriam of the number of women lost to domestic violence, the show interweaves performance art, fashion and music. In the show, feminine archetypes take on tarot characters, embodying strength and resilience. “It’s my first time using mixed mediums and I recorded my own soundtrack to the show with my old boss and mentor Lindsay Gravina, titled ‘Down to the Water’. The song was written after a dream I once had where I was trapped in the body of a woman who had been used and discarded, waiting for my body to be found,” says Jackson. “I’ll be releasing a short film for the song and collection shortly after. I hope I leave my patrons moved.” — Karen Leong, content editor
Permanent Vacation
Claire Louise Smith had a front row seat to how fast fashion worked, and decided she would operate in an entirely different way. “I was moving back home to Melbourne after four years in London, where I worked in a design and research role at the trend forecasting agency WGSN,” the designer tells us. “We would often have scientists and futurists come in to present data on sustainability, industry waste, and the predicted scarcity of resources.” When Smith arrived home, she brought with her a resolute vision for a brand: something that existed outside of the industry’s traditional calendar. No seasons. Just Permanent Vacation.
“I started Permanent Vacation almost out of necessity, as a project-based creative practice with an emphasis on longevity and responsibility,” Smith explains of her label. “The name is a reference to escaping the cyclical nature of the industry.” Instead of collections, Smith releases ‘projects’. Her latest, ‘Project 26’, is called ‘Reception’, and heroes many of the silhouettes and patterns Permanent Vacation has become known for here in Australia: checkered halterneck dresses, easy-wearing camisoles and soft knits, slip skirts and hardy trousers. At AFW, Smith will be presenting for the first time as part of the collective ‘New Generation’, alongside Boteh, Buluuy Mirrii, Haluminous and Miimi & Jiinda.
“It’s exciting and daunting to be working in such an unfamiliar format,” the creative director says of her upcoming presentation. “I tend to design each Project intuitively, within an overarching mood or concept; colours, silhouettes, and fabric choices unfold naturally during this process. But this 3D expression of that concept on the runway, the full realisation of it in motion, wherein I hope to also convey something of PV’s ethos to people who have never heard of the brand, that’s quite out of my comfort zone. I’m embracing the discomfort!”
For now, Smith is trying to savour the moment—something she feels she never gets time to properly celebrate in the face of looming deadlines. Beyond that, she’s focusing on translating Permanent Vacation, which currently exists predominantly online, into a brick-and-mortar experience, for personal appointments and viewings. Hers is community-first clothing. — Gladys Lai, Vogue head of brand
Joseph & James
Founded by a Gooreng Gooreng and South Sea Islander woman, Juanita Page heads up the clean, capsule silhouettes of contemporary label Joseph & James. With roots in Naarm (Melbourne), the brand espouses ideas of freedom, empowerment and celebration. Her collection, Gathering, will be the first solo show at Australian Fashion week. The thematics are rooted in the beauty of shared moments, envisioned by Page as “an ode to togetherness.” Recalling meals that last into the hours of late night, lingering conversations, and the commune of those intimate to you, the collection will take on the same familiarity, and quiet strength. “The intention wasn’t just to design garments, but to bottle a feeling: of being at ease, at home, in good company. The clothes reflect that—soft structure, tactile fabrics, relaxed tailoring—pieces that feel lived-in and emotionally resonant. I wanted the runway to hold space for that warmth and familiarity, but also to nudge the idea that menswear can be expressive, tender, and joyful.” Page says.
“We’re trying to build a brand that doesn’t just make clothes, but rethinks what menswear can hold. There’s still so much room in Australia to explore that. Joseph & James exists to help expand the narrative—to prove that menswear here is worth showing up for, investing in, and taking seriously,” Page tells Vogue. — Karen Leong, content editor
This story was originally published on vogue.com.au
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