Pre FASHION WEEK wrap

AUSTRALIAN FASHION WEEK KICKS OFF ON MONDAY WITH A BANG

Opening Show Designer – Marina Afonina ALBUS LUMEN

Australian Fashion Week by the Numbers:

• Returning designers: 28

• New designers: 12

• First Nations Designers: 6

• New Zealand designers: 1

• Consumer events and programming: 14

• Total number of runway shows: 36 • Total number of events: 55

New Designer Highlights: Amy Lawrance, Emily Watson, House of Campbell, MASTANI, madre natura, Potirakis, Rory William Docherty, Third Form, VIKTORIA & WOODS.

Returning Designer Highlights:

Acler, Albus Lumen, Alix Higgins, all is a gentle spring, Beare Park, BEC + BRIDGE, Carla Zampatti, Liandra, P.E Nation, Romance Was Born.

Consumer Runway Shows:

Carla Zampatti, Acler, Romance Was Born, David Jones Indigenous Fashion Projects Runway, Pandora Closing Show.

The winners of Next Gen, Australian Fashion Week’s emerging designer program presented by DHL, will make their runway debut on Monday at 11am.

Visiting international retailers

include Net-a-Porter, Le Bon Marche, Revolve, Moda Operandi, Harvey Nichols Kuwait, Tryano Stores (UAE).

Bec & Bridge has shown 16 times.

All the cool kids and top influencers expected to attend the Bec and Bridge show.

Big Shows with large capacity – Albus Lumen (Opening Show); Carla Zampatti, Bec & Bridge – P.E Nation.

Biggest production is likely to be P.E Nation. Its founder Pip Edwards never does anything by halves. This is also the first time Edwards has shown without her fellow co-founder Claire Graves, who stepped away from the brand earlier this year after a 10-year partnership with Edwards. They have invited 640 fashionistas and have a 40m runway which they will send 40 models down. This year they will apparently really be representing the “nation” in the label’s name.

Most anticipated show would have to be Albus Lumen, with Sydney’s A-list style set to descend on Carriageworks for designer Marina Afonina’s opening show.