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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Overlooking the glistening Sydney Harbour this morning and among a room full of people (for perhaps the first time since 2020) Afterpay Australian Fashion Week released its runway schedule. The lauded event will be held from May 31 to June 4 and feature a plethora of established Australian designers and up-and-coming changemakers.
All eyes will be on the capital city as the first live fashion week since early 2020. As such and due to border closures, AAFW will launch an exclusive virtual platform for international guests and delegates. IMG has partnered with the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) and ORDRE to launch the AAFW edition of AFC Virtual on ORDRE, the luxury online wholesale portal.
The forthcoming schedule will include familiar favourites including Albus Lumen, Bondi Born, Bec + Bridge and Rebecca Vallance (the eponymous label’s 10th anniversary) as well as the highly-anticipated NextGen runway. Newcomers to the event include the whimsical Maggie Marilyn and St. Agni. Most notably, Romance Was Born will return to the AAFW schedule for the opening night show on Monday, 31 May at 6pm at Carriageworks.
To celebrate individuals shifting Australia’s representation landscape and leveraging fashion as a cultural catalyst, IMG has also announced the 2021 Changemakers, honouring a collective of the leading names in Australian fashion: Daphne Nguyen, Emma Jarman, Gadir Rajab, Gillian Campbell, Grace Lillian Lee, Joel Babicci, Joel Forman, Jordan Dalah, Jordan Gogos, Justin Ridler, Levi Neufeld, Lisa Cox, Lisa Fatnowna, Mahalia Handley, Manahou Mackay, Nathan Mcguire, Richard Jarman, Rory Rice, Sarah Starkey, Tre Koch and Yatu Widders-Hunt. Each of IMG’s 2021 Changemakers will participate in the official AAFW schedule in various capacities, ranging from programming, to runway shows, content integrations and more.
See the full schedule below.
“AAFW is a momentous occasion to showcase the unmatched creative talent of the Australian fashion industry to the world. This season’s incredible schedule of designers, fashion events and programming will strengthen AAFW’s position as the leading fashion event in the region and the global destination for resort collections,” commented Natalie Xenita, Vice President-Managing Director of IMG Fashion Events & Properties, Asia Pacific.
In addition to changes such as COVID-safe procedures, the event will also welcome consumers via ‘AAFW: The Experience’.
Members of the general public will be invited to buy tickets and attend a selection of “see-now, buy-now” runway shows and for the first time, shop directly from the runway using Afterpay. In addition, luxury boutique hotel brand, SKYE Suites will be the official hotel partner. As part of a special package offer, experience a luxury stay at SKYE Suites Green Square or Sydney combined with tickets to AAFW shows of your choice.
For information, visit the officIAL AAFW website here.
