First, I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

With May around the corner and as we edge closer towards AfterPay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW), I am filled with a sense of excitement and nervousness, as I truly believe this is our moment to unite and transform our industry together.

As many of you know, in May last year we were awarded a grant by the federal government to create a Certified trade mark (CTM) and develop a campaign to market Australian Fashion as a brand, locally and globally. After almost 12 months of countless hours of consultations, meetings and good-old-fashioned hard work, the AFC will be launching the CTM on the first day of AAFW at Carriageworks.

This CTM will be a world first in its ambition to position Australia’s fashion as the unique and progressive creative industry that it is. The CTM, together with a consumer campaign and website, which will be launched in August, will set the stage for Australian Fashion to continue to captivate the world with its effortless style, raw nature, boundless optimism and fearless innovation.

Our aim is to drive awareness and demand for Australian Fashion at home and abroad, by creating a unifying trade mark, campaign & platform that delivers profit and jobs to our sector while promoting responsible social and environmental practices.

Also at the event, thanks to Afterpay, we will be launching a new EY Report that will model the economic potential of our industry based on four key policy asks that we have recently presented to federal government on both sides of the political spectrum:

1. Promote the Australian Fashion CTM campaign locally and globally to turbo-charge local and export earnings

2. Make fibre and its derivatives (textiles, uniforms and clothing) a priority in the building of Australia’s sovereign capabilities

3. Boost women’s economic security by developing career pathways for women throughout their working life, addressing current and future industry skills gaps and opportunities

4. Build a workable and sustainable circular economy across Australia’s clothing, uniforms and textiles supply chain

As you can see, there is a lot to be excited and nervous (in a good way) about! Again, this is our moment. I hope you will join the AFC in transforming, strengthening and securing our industry for the future.

For those of you who are not yet AFC members, now is the time to join us to ensure that you are part of this game-changing journey. Become an AFC member here.

Thank you for your continued support of the Australian Fashion Council.

Leila Naja Hibri
CEO | Australian Fashion Council