Industry news

Aboriginal fashion designers and textile artists from Bábbarra Designs are taking their creations global with an exhibition at the Australian Embassy in France this September! We were lucky to catch some of the designs at DAAF in Darwin this August, and can’t wait to see what they have planned. We caught up with Ingrid Johanson and Jessica Phillips, Managers at Bábbarra Women’s Centre to hear more about the exhibition, the culture and linguistic diversity it celebrates, and the women involved…

David Giles-Kaye is to step down as CEO of the Australian Fashion Council at the end of 2019 after 4 years in the role. A new CEO has been appointed by the board and will be announced shortly…

As a new and innovative sourcing event, RawAssembly™ aims to shape a new sourcing culture by providing sustainable textile solutions, showcasing innovative textile products and shaping the ethical and creative values of its visitors. Following the success of their inaugural event in Sydney, RawAssembly™ is excited to launch its second event in Melbourne at the Deakin Edge on the 28th to 29th October 2019…

Congratulations to all the incredibly talented designers who featured in last Sunday's Student Collections runway at Melbourne Fashion Week. The AFC were once again thrilled to support the M/FW Student Award, with this year’s winner Chelsea Subala announced on the night!

Paris Fashion Week will see a host of AFC Members showcasing in runways and trade events this September. The AFC will also be hosting a series of exclusive industry events during the week to celebrate our local designers and facilitate networking opportunities. With special thanks to The Woolmark Company, the Australian Embassy in Paris, Creative Victoria, The Community, Handpicked Wines and Four Pillars Gin. Here’s a look at some of the incredible local designers you’ll find in the global spotlight…

New York Fashion Week will see a host of AFC Members showcasing in runways and trade events this September. The AFC will also be holding a series of exclusive industry events during the week to celebrate our local designers and facilitate networking opportunities. With special thanks to Bluestone Lane, The Woolmark Company, the Australian Consulate-General in NYC, jac + bean, Handpicked Wines and Four Pillars Gin…

This year has seen the launch of some new fashion collaborations including Saint Laurent and Havaianas, Neuw Denim and jewellery designer, Holly Ryan and Gorman and Indigenous artists from the Mangkaja Art Resource Agency Centre.  These pairings give emerging designers much-needed exposure, allow existing labels to experiment and attract new customers and in some cases, make a meaningful contribution.  It’s vital that the parties share the same values, vision and goals for the collaboration.  To avoid a messy break up, it’s critical that the parties see eye-to-eye on legal matters.

The recent Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) and From Country to Couture runway held in August this year has once again highlighted the incredible talent of our Indigenous designers and artists, along with the broader impact that opportunities in the Fashion industry can have for Indigenous communities. The event also saw the announcement of an exciting Industry initiative moving ahead in this space; The Inaugural National Aboriginal Fashion Awards to be launched in Darwin next year.

As an industry notoriously driven by intuition, luxury retailers are beginning to turn to artificial intelligence (AI) for demand-planning and inventory management. By mining social media, a host of AI start-ups are using user-generated content to track the rise and fall of fashion trends.

Sydney designers Song for the Mute (SFTM) revealed a unique immersive concept space based on the narrative of their latest collection, ‘19.2 Hunter’. A long-form story. A male and female cast. Seasons as chapters. Never one the same. Narratives told with exceptional fabrics and experimental process. Founded by Melvin Tanaya and Lyna Ty in 2010, Song for the Mute is the result of a long-term creative expression between two lifelong friends…

Arnsdorf was proud to announce that it has been awarded a full B Corp Certification after completing a rigorous 12 month audit process. Certified B Corporations​ are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

This article is the second in a series delving into the links between the Sustainable Development Goals and Australia’s textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) industry. In this article we explore the role the TCF industry can play in achieving SDG 6 clean water and sanitation for all.

AFC Member Julia Van Der Sommen, Director of Sample room is a 25-year industry veteran. Noticing a shift to greater awareness of the provenance of clothes through her Melbourne-based ethically-accredited business, Sample Room. Ms Van Der Sommen has created a new tech product with her team that she believes will change the way designers and manufacturers approach development.

We catch up with Fashion for Good’s Managing Director Katrin Ley following AFC’s visit to the global initiative’s hub in Amsterdam earlier this June. Hear about their Innovation Platform with accelerating and scaling programmes, The Good Shop and the Fashion for Good Experience; the world’s first interactive Museum for sustainable fashion innovation...

Over the last few months City of Sydney supported the Australian Fashion Council to put on a series of workshops catered to emerging fashion labels and designed to support growth of these early stage businesses in the industry.