Latest news with #fashiondesigners
Grazia USA
02-06-2025
- Business
- Grazia USA
16 Australian Fashion Brands That Need To Be On Your Radar
While for women's fashion in the Northern Hemisphere, we bid farewell to fashion month over six weeks ago (and we're set to welcome men's fashion month in just a few weeks), Australia was preparing for its own fashion week. But this year marked a turning point for Australian Fashion Week, which launched nearly 30 years ago. For the better part of its lifespan, Australian Fashion Week (AFW) was run by IMG in partnership with other major sponsors. However, it was announced at the end of 2024, the global agency would be stepping back as the main backer of the event, leaving the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) to take the helm of the event for the first time. As Kellie Hush, the CEO of AFW, pointed out, it was to be 'a trade show…not fashion entertainment', which was a change from the consumer-led model of the fashion week previously taken under the leadership of IMG. An emphasis on platforming Australian designers on the international stage was placed, as well as its local, but it was an opportunity for the designers and creatives behind these household labels to share their brand stories with the world. Many of which already have a growing presence and loyal clientele in the Middle East. A host of international buyers and press descended upon Sydney in mid-May to attend front row to the slew of designers taking part in AFW. 'We have an incredible industry, world-leading, and it was a privilege providing the platform to put our fashion on the world stage,' Hush further emphasised in a post-fashion week LinkedIn post. 'We listened and this is just the start of what industry collaboration can achieve,' she also added. It may have been a smaller scale than some expected, but it was a step towards the future of Australian fashion on a global scale, and GRAZIA Middle East was lucky enough to have a front row seat. With the rise of popularity of Australian brands in the region and many beloved already (you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn't visited the famed Zimmermann boutique in Mall of the Emirates, which we have under good authority is one of the best-performing stores for the fashion house globally), fashion week Down Under is one we all need to be keeping our eyes on. Even the duo behind Aje, Adrian Norris and Edwina Forest, exclusively told GRAZIA post their AFW show, the Middle East is their second biggest market and is fast-growing. So, with that, post-AFW, GRAZIA brings you 16 fashion brands that need to be on your radar. Aje At the sun-drenched Pier Pavilion in Barangaroo, Aje unveiled Impression – a Resort '26 collection that felt like a love letter to emotion, movement, and light. Inspired by the Impressionist art movement, the show captured not just how fashion looks, but how it feels. Silhouettes floated like brushstrokes, blending sculptural forms with poetic softness. Pastel hues, bold splashes of magenta and yellow, and pearlescent embellishments echoed Australia's landscape and light. Raw crochet, braided leather, and hammered metals grounded the ethereal. 'There's something so powerful in the softness of those brushstrokes,' Forest said. 'We wanted to bring that same poetic sensibility into the collection.' The result? A sensorial journey that truly left an impression. Carla Zampatti With the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, heritage Australian fashion house Carla Zampatti opened fashion week. Presenting its latest collection that brought together a host of Australian design legends, the show paid tribute to the brand's sixth decade in business and honoured its late founder. Bianca Spender Photo: Supplied Bianca Spender delivered a deeply personal reflection on the art of letting go with her latest collection, Deliquesce . Inspired by the feeling of diving feet-first into water, it was all about surrender – about softening into the unknown. The colour story shifted from inky black and soft blush to earthy tones and a final wash of champagne tones. Deliquesce was less a fashion show and more a quiet emotional release – weightless, sculptural and serene. Courtney Zheng Photo: Supplied Titled Le Corbusier , Courtney Zheng took to the AFW runway to present a collection which explored the brutalist nature of fashion, featuring strong shoulders and tailoring paired with distressed denim and raw edges. 'The collection began with the idea of brutalist stealth—something that felt quietly powerful and architectural,' Zheng told GRAZIA. 'I was drawn to the rawness of brutalism: exposed structure, material honesty, and a kind of stark elegance.' Amy Lawrance Photo: Supplied Still in the infancy of her brand, Amy Lawrance put on a show for the eyes in material and structure for her latest collection. At the helm, was the use of raw silk with silhouettes inspired by the 1920s era. Each look was derived from the same ivory colour, but with its own structural identity, telling a different story by its look, but also touch. Paris Georgia Photo: Supplied Founded by Australian fashion duo Paris Mitchell Temple and Georgia Cherrie, Paris Georgia brought the sultry side to The Frontier show. Taking inspiration from Sex and the City, the collection was about paying homage to the emboldened career woman in many different forms. Matin Photo: Supplied In the form of soft silhouettes, free-flowing fabrics and a muted colour palette, Matin's pre-fall collection was an ode to timeless classics and feminine energy in all its glory. Esse At its core, ESSE embodies minimalism like no other. This season, the Australian label brought a play on texture and tailoring. 'It's in the detail and the subtle collision of texture,' designer Charlotte Hick told GRAZIA. 'Every line, surface, and proportion must earn its place. I start with the question: Will she reach for this tomorrow, and five years from now? Hansen+Gretel Photo: Supplied For its Resort 2026 collection, Hansen + Gretel created a collection entitled AURA, inspired by natural energy and the unseen forces of movement that shape the way we exist. Featuring bohemian, flowing silhouettes, the colour palette skewed towards greens and blues. Marriam Seddiq 'It's only just the beginning,' declared Mariam Seddiq at the start of her 10th anniversary runway show. At Australian Fashion Week 2025, the Australian-Afghan designer unveiled a powerful narrative of elegance and innovation. Sleek black tailoring collided with Grecian-inspired draping, forging a vision of what's to come for the fashion house. Ngali Photo: Supplied Ngali made a powerful return to the AFW 2025 runway with The Yawa: Journey Collection, a deeply personal chapter from founder Denni Francisco. A proud Wiradjuri woman, Francisco continues to honour Indigenous storytelling through fluid silhouettes, rich prints, and a palette inspired by Country—think ochre, rust, and deep water tones. Lee Matthews Photo: Supplied Beloved Australian designer Lee Matthews marked 25 years of her namesake label at this year's Australian Fashion Week. Naturally, the collection paid tribute to its roots as the brand marked a quarter of a century. In her latest pieces, she juxtaposed the contrast of strength and softness, which was inspired by the art of ballet, in particular famed German dancer Pina Bausch. Beare Park Photo: Supplied Harnessing her approach to modern femininity, Gabriella Pereira, founder of Beare Parke, took on a deeper, more sultry mood for her showcase at Australian Fashion Week 2025. Straying from her usual classic silhouettes, the designer took a more seductive route for her latest collection. Paired with Chopard jewellery down the runway, pieces reflected a somewhat after-hours glamour, playing on sheer fabrics and satins, as well as sharp tailoring. Cleopatra's Bling Photo: Supplied Founded by Australian jewellery designer Olivia Cummings in 2014, Cleopatra's Bling is an ethical fine jewellery brand which she founded, inspired by her world travels and time working in Paris and living in Istanbul. Featuring ethically sourced stones and replicating ancient jewellery-making traditions, Cummings has also been inspired by the heritage and beauty of the Mediterranean and the Middle East in creating her pieces. Saben New Zealand handbag label Saben was founded in 2002 with a clear design philosophy: 'Fewer, more beautiful pieces.' And, indeed, it is. Fusing fashion and functionality together, each piece stands the test of time, making for a timeless investment. Shona Joy If you're an avid shopper on Ounass, you'll no doubt be a lover of Shona Joy. However, if you have perhaps skimmed over this beloved Aussie designer, allow us to introduce you. Founded in 2000 between the markets at Bondi Beach and Paddington – two suburbs in Sydney – the brand has become known for its free-flowing silhouettes dedicated to the free-spirited woman. Whether it's different plays on proportion in the forms of tailoring or the perfect matching satin sets, this Australian brand is one you need to have on your radar.
ABC News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Carla Zampatti remembered as Australian Fashion Week opens
Fourteen different fashion designers took part in the event on Sydney Harbour, marking 60 years of the Carla Zampatti brand.
