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.<\/p>\n
With the rise of popularity of Australian brands in the region and many beloved already (you\u2019d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
So, with that, post-AFW, GRAZIA brings you 16 fashion brands that need to be on your radar.<\/p>\n
Aje<\/h3>\n <\/blockquote>\nAt the sun-drenched Pier Pavilion in Barangaroo, Aje unveiled Impression \u2013 <\/em>a Resort \u201926 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\u2019s landscape and light. Raw crochet, braided leather, and hammered metals grounded the ethereal. \u201cThere\u2019s something so powerful in the softness of those brushstrokes,\u201d Forest said. \u201cWe wanted to bring that same poetic sensibility into the collection.\u201d The result? A sensorial journey that truly left an impression.<\/p>\nCarla Zampatti<\/h3>\n <\/blockquote>\nWith 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\u2019s sixth decade in business and honoured its late founder.<\/p>\n
Bianca Spender<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/Bianca-Spender-819x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBianca Spender delivered a deeply personal reflection on the art of letting go with her latest collection, Deliquesce<\/em>. Inspired by the feeling of diving feet-first into water, it was all about surrender \u2013 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 \u2013 weightless, sculptural and serene.<\/p>\nCourtney Zheng<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/COURTNEYZHENG_GALLERY-1-683x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTitled Le Corbusier<\/em>, 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. \u201cThe collection began with the idea of brutalist stealth\u2014something that felt quietly powerful and architectural,\u201d Zheng told GRAZIA<\/a>. \u201cI was drawn to the rawness of brutalism: exposed structure, material honesty, and a kind of stark elegance.\u201d<\/p>\nAmy Lawrance<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/AMYLAWRANCE_GALLERY-1-683x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nStill 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.<\/p>\n
Paris Georgia<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/PARISGEORGIA_GALLERY-12-2-681x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFounded 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.<\/p>\n
Matin<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/MATIN_GALLERY-17-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn 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.<\/p>\n
Esse<\/h3>\n <\/blockquote>\nAt its core, ESSE embodies minimalism like no other. This season, the Australian label brought a play on texture and tailoring.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s in the detail and the subtle collision of texture,\u201d designer Charlotte Hick told GRAZIA. \u201cEvery line, surface, and proportion must earn its place. I start with the question: Will she reach for this tomorrow, and five years from now?<\/p>\n
Hansen+Gretel<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/HANSENGRETEL-GALLERY-3-683x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor 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.<\/p>\n
Marriam Seddiq<\/h3>\n <\/blockquote>\n\u201cIt\u2019s only just the beginning,\u201d 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\u2019s to come for the fashion house.<\/p>\n
Ngali<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/NGALI-AFW-683x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNgali 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\u2014think ochre, rust, and deep water tones.<\/p>\n
Lee Matthews<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/Lee-Mathews-AFW-683x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBeloved 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.<\/p>\n
Beare Park<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/Beare-ParkAFW-683x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHarnessing her approach to modern femininity, Gabriella Pereir<\/a>a, 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.<\/p>\nCleopatra\u2019s Bling<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/Cleopatras-Bling-819x1024.jpg\")
Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFounded by Australian jewellery designer Olivia Cummings in 2014, Cleopatra’s Bling<\/a> 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.<\/p>\nSaben<\/h3>\n <\/blockquote>\n
At the sun-drenched Pier Pavilion in Barangaroo, Aje unveiled Impression \u2013 <\/em>a Resort \u201926 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\u2019s landscape and light. Raw crochet, braided leather, and hammered metals grounded the ethereal. \u201cThere\u2019s something so powerful in the softness of those brushstrokes,\u201d Forest said. \u201cWe wanted to bring that same poetic sensibility into the collection.\u201d The result? A sensorial journey that truly left an impression.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s sixth decade in business and honoured its late founder.<\/p>\n Bianca Spender delivered a deeply personal reflection on the art of letting go with her latest collection, Deliquesce<\/em>. Inspired by the feeling of diving feet-first into water, it was all about surrender \u2013 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 \u2013 weightless, sculptural and serene.<\/p>\n Titled Le Corbusier<\/em>, 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. \u201cThe collection began with the idea of brutalist stealth\u2014something that felt quietly powerful and architectural,\u201d Zheng told GRAZIA<\/a>. \u201cI was drawn to the rawness of brutalism: exposed structure, material honesty, and a kind of stark elegance.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n At its core, ESSE embodies minimalism like no other. This season, the Australian label brought a play on texture and tailoring.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s in the detail and the subtle collision of texture,\u201d designer Charlotte Hick told GRAZIA. \u201cEvery line, surface, and proportion must earn its place. I start with the question: Will she reach for this tomorrow, and five years from now?<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only just the beginning,\u201d 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\u2019s to come for the fashion house.<\/p>\n 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\u2014think ochre, rust, and deep water tones.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Harnessing her approach to modern femininity, Gabriella Pereir<\/a>a, 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.<\/p>\n Founded by Australian jewellery designer Olivia Cummings in 2014, Cleopatra’s Bling<\/a> 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.<\/p>\nCarla Zampatti<\/h3>\n
<\/blockquote>\n
Bianca Spender<\/h3>\n
Courtney Zheng<\/h3>\n
Amy Lawrance<\/h3>\n
Paris Georgia<\/h3>\n
Matin<\/h3>\n
Esse<\/h3>\n
<\/blockquote>\n
Hansen+Gretel<\/h3>\n
Marriam Seddiq<\/h3>\n
<\/blockquote>\n
Ngali<\/h3>\n
Lee Matthews<\/h3>\n
Beare Park<\/h3>\n
Cleopatra\u2019s Bling<\/h3>\n
Saben<\/h3>\n
<\/blockquote>\n