Highlights From Australian Fashion Week 2026

Held in May, Australian Fashion Week 2026 brought five days of runway shows across Sydney, from rain-soaked boardwalks to heritage homes and harbour-side galleries.  Standout moments included Carla Zampatti’s closing show in the rainfall, Aje’s pink takeover of The Lands by Capella, and Ngali’s powerful final day presentation at the MCA. Across the week, designers focused on strong silhouettes, thoughtful storytelling and clothes with lasting impact.

Carla Zampatti closes day one in the rain

Though it rained, on day one,no one flinched. Carla Zampatti closed the night at the Park Hyatt boardwalk, with structured silhouettes and signature fringes, and models who moved through the drizzle as if the weather was simply part of the set design. A composed, confident closer, setting the tone for the week ahead. The clothes were sharp and considered, the kind that don't need a perfect evening to make their point.

Aje washes a heritage building pink

On day two, Aje took over The Lands by Capella, a heritage building in the heart of the Sydney CBD, washing every surface in soft pink for Resort 27's Siren. The collection ranged from rusted earth tones and sheer organza, evoking something between the coastline and the outback. The clothes shifted in mood as the show progressed, never quite settling, always moving forward.

in a room that suits her

Also on day two, Bianca Spender swapped a conventional venue for a raw creative arts studio west of the CBD, drawing in the city's creative community. The  collection extended her signature architectural softness with sculptural tailoring and fluid drape, the kinds of pieces that hold their shape and their silence in equal measure

ESSE builds a wardrobe from contrasts

ESSE arrived at the MCA on day three with a palette of oxblood, espresso and ivory holding everything together. Structured coats gave way to fluid draping, sculpted jackets sat alongside sheer layered dresses, and fringed evening pieces brought the collection to a close. The clothes were built on considered contrasts, each piece sitting in deliberate conversation with the next.

Nicol & Ford descend a grand staircase at dusk

Heritage-listed Elizabeth Bay House became a runway on day four as the light dropped over the harbour. Models descended the grand staircase in Feint, a demi-couture collection that moved between the campy and the tender, the theatrical and the quietly subversive. The house, with its worn grandeur and fading light, felt like the only possible setting for it.

Ngali translates story into garment

On the final day at the MCA, Wiradjuri designer Denni Francisco brought Ngali back to AFW for the label's third show. First Nations artwork became the starting point for garments built around optimism, resilience and connection, each piece carrying the weight of the story behind it. Eight years in, Francisco continues to show what it looks like when design is built from the ground up with both responsibility and beauty in mind

Australian Fashion Week

Gary Bigeni returns to where it began

Gary Bigeni closed out day five at the MCA with twenty-three years behind him and what felt like his most personal collection yet. He returned to the draped jersey that started the label, this time shaping it into something softer and more searching, a tribute to the resilience of women through birth, loss, illness and transformation. The house was packed. The room was quiet in the way rooms only get when something is landing.

Across five days, AFW 2026 proved that the strongest collections didn’t rely on spectacle alone. Whether staged in the rain, inside historic houses or against the harbour, the week belonged to designers with a clear point of view and the confidence to let the work speak for itself