Models walk the runway during the Blanca show during
Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2023. Photos: Stefan Gosatti | Getty Images for AAFW
While the landscape of attendees may be showing a shift, expectations around the calibre of designers, fashion, beauty, and showmanship more than delivered at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week.
Splashes of colour but in more muted pastels with palettes of soft apricots, buttery lemons, and sky blues brought the Australian Fashion Week runways alive for days four and five. But as the final days of shows brought more vibrant fashion, the crowds started to dissipate, with Friday at Carriageworks in Sydney something of a ghost town.
Overall, with each passing day, the energy of the crowds started to wither. Combined with a clear lack of celebrity front rowers, as in previous years, and a rise in unknown micro influencers taking their ranks, the exclusivity of the event marked a huge shift from its pre-pandemic days.
It was on Thursday morning while waiting for the Verner show to begin, I saw a well-known fashion editor purvey the front row and then loudly whisper to the woman next to him, “Who are these people?” It’s a sentiment that was echoed by many others from the fashion set and also by the clear no-shows of the usual fashion week regulars across the entire week.
Blanca Show. Photos: Stefan Gosatti | Getty Images for AAFW
But, no-shows aside, let’s get into the fashion. Thursday kicked off with Blanca Studio, the brand that became a sell-out hit over COVID with their candy-striped shirt and short sets. And they did not disappoint, opting for a more dusty palette of pastel khakis, buttery lemon, muted apricots with relaxed coats, shift dresses, and plenty of striped shirt and pants sets
they are renowned for.
The pieces offered more tailoring with trench coats and blazers but overall retained the relaxed aesthetic of the brand and included some menswear pieces too.
Up next was Melbourne-based brand Verner, who opted for a very interesting lighting design for the duration of the show. Maybe that’s why half the front row was wearing sunglasses (I must have missed the memo). Here, we saw a return to bold colour, orange, turquoise, and exaggerated bow details and statement resort dresses in rainbow stripes.
Verner Show. Photos: Stefan Gosatti | Getty Images for AAFW
The big offsite of the day was Acler. Known for their statement party dresses and use of pleating, they did not disappoint. With plenty of coral, splashes of bright peppermint, and lots of flora, the pieces were extremely wearable, with a nod to the female form, and likely to be seen trackside during spring racing season later in the year.
Acler Show. Photos: Brendon Thorne | Getty Images for AAFW
The evening brought high drama both on and off the catwalk with Nicol and Ford. Having been to one of the on-site Fashion talks, which ran five minutes overtime due to a Q& A, we raced along to join the queue to be let into the show. At this point, it was 6:07pm and around 40 people had lined up to be let in.
As a little side note, the shows (particularly the evening shows) always run late and usually don’t start until 15 minutes or even half an hour after the scheduled time. As people began to gather, the clock began to tick. However, it wasn’t until 6:35pm that people grew a little impatient. At this point, an official came out and announced to the large group waiting to be let in that the show had in fact started and it was too late. Exasperated sighs were let out, with some people having come in especially for the show after other work commitments, now being turned away after waiting for half an hour in the cold. A comms error that certainly put a damper on the night.
Meanwhile, inside, those who had arrived early enough were treated to a high drama display of bold and fanciful gowns, with finally some diversity on the catwalk with gender neutral and body inclusivity all on display.
Designers Katie-Louise and Timothy Nicol-Ford thank the audience
following the Nicol & Ford show. Photo: Stefan Gosatti | Getty Images for AAFW
Models walk the runway during the Nicol & Ford show.
Photos: Stefan Gosatti | Getty Images for AAFW
If Thursday saw an emptying of the crowds, Friday saw tumbleweed blowing down the Carriageworks tracks. With the micro-influencer crowds well and truly gone, most of the day’s events were open to everyone with a new ticketed system meaning the general public were able to pay to attend some of the shows. This saw the departure of the fashion set and more of general fashion consumers and even some corporates who sprinkled in for the final show of the evening – the #WeWearAustralian x Afterpay show.
Showcasing looks that are all currently available to purchase, it was a clever marketing ploy to have the front row open to shoppers rather than just the fashion set. And finally, we saw some “celebrity” models, with main sponsor Afterpay pulling out the big guns with Jessica Gommes hitting the runway.
The looks were an assortment of Australian designers, including Michael Lo Sordo, P.E. Nation, Bianca Spender, Viktoria & Woods, ESSE, Jac + Jack, Ngali, ALÉMAIS, Relax Remade, Alix Higgins, Nobody Denim, LEO LIN, and more.
As an offshoot of the show, launching 25 May, a new Shop The Runway initiative offers the opportunity to shop the #WeWearAustralian x Afterpay Runway, with #WeWearAustralian partnering with non-for-profit Thread Together to donate $1 for every style sold.
Models walk the runway during the We Wear Australian x Afterpay – Runway show
Photos: (top) Stefan Gosatti | Getty Images for AAFW
(above) James Gourley | Getty Images for AAFW
The partnership also shines a light on textile waste, with Afterpay co-founder Anthony Eisen saying, “We are privileged to continue our partnership with Thread Together and some of Australia’s leading fashion designers to shine a light on textile waste. Sustainability is not only a key focus for AAFW but also an issue Gen Z shoppers are focused on when looking to reduce their carbon footprint.”
The mainstreaming of the event and rise of unknown micro-influencers more invested in a photo than the shows definitely saw a departure from the glory days of Australian Fashion Week.
It will certainly be interesting to see what happens when New Zealand Fashion Week returns from its long hiatus later this year. Is this a sign of the times? Or is it just an Australian thing?
Images by Getty Images