Being held from May 13-17, 2024, in Sydney, the Australian Fashion Week showcased the much-anticipated return of veteran local designers alongside the debut of emerging brands.
Sponsored by Danish jewelry brand Pandora, the event featured around 25 designer shows and a handful of group showcases, unveiling the official Resort 2025 lineup.
The week commenced with luxury brand Albus Lumen's 'Rebellion' collection, which emphasised sustainability by refurbishing old garments into new creations. The collection featured deconstructed garments in earthy tones, contributing to a dystopian theme.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, founded by Margie Woods, Viktoria & Woods returned to Australian Fashion Week. The brand's co-ed collection, displayed at The Cove Apartments, highlighted tailoring and relaxed silhouettes with fabrics like silk, cupro, linen, and bamboo. This season, the sustainability-focused brand expanded its use of leather in ready-to-wear styles, with standout looks featuring both sleeveless and standard tailoring, as well as specialized knitwear—a nod to the brand's origins.
Carla Zampatti made a poignant return to the AFW after a five-year hiatus, presenting a collection under the creative direction of designer Karlie Ungar. The 'Dinastia' collection paid homage to the brand's classic heritage and female empowerment, introducing elements like bespoke coin jewelry, Italian map prints on silk, and petal-sculpted tailoring and gowns. The show, which opened with a short film by Claudia Rose and a bespoke music score by Gary Sinclair, was a grand tribute to the late designer, featuring predominantly black gowns that exuded a matriarchal essence.
Day two began with indigenous designer Liandra Gaykamangu's summery collection, inspired by bees and native flora and fauna. Rebranding from Liandra Swim to simply Liandra, the designer expanded into ready-to-wear, blending beachwear with streetwear. The collection featured sunset-colored prints, jewel greens, and blues on printed cottons and chiffon, with bikini tops and one-piece bathers layered under versatile clothing.
Bec + Bridge, led by Sydney fashion duo Bec Cooper and Bridget Yorston, took their Resort 2025 collection offsite to Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal. Inspired by metalwork, the collection included wrap dresses, slouched woollen trousers, racerback tanks, and skivvy-style tops, along with denim accented with silver metallic details. The look was completed with silver slouchy knee-high boots, metallic skirts, and 90's oval shades, adding a trendy touch.
The evening of day two saw the return of Acler, with supermodel Gemma Ward and former Australian deputy prime minister Julie Bishop in attendance. Acler's latest collection played with shapes and volume, featuring organza and tulle in saccharine hues, metallics, and intricate beadwork. The brand also introduced a capsule collection of metallic slouch knee-high boots and oversized crescent moon handbags, set against a maze-like white stage that enhanced the collection's galactic feel.
