IMG has today announced the official schedule for the 2022 Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW).
The event will take place at Carriageworks and virtually on the AAFW website from May 9 to 13 and will feature 50 live runway shows and presentations.
Beginning with a Welcome To Country produced by First Nations Fashion + Design, AAFW will welcome more than 18,000 attendees and participants across the five-day schedule, including international media, industry, consumers, talent, crew, and international buyers.
IMG Fashion Events and Properties APAC VP-MD Natalie Xenita welcomed the announcement of the 2022 schedule.
"The 2022 schedule of designer shows, programming and special events features some of the industry’s most noteworthy names, all gearing up to showcase their creativity and hard work against the vivid backdrop of Sydney, the resort wear capital of the Asia Pacific region.
"As the cornerstone for growth and recognition, AAFW celebrates the ingenuity of Australia’s top designers and creators, providing them with the opportunity to showcase their creativity and innovation across Australia and around the globe," she said.
AAFW will also build on the Changemakers program it launched in 2021, allowing those who are defining the future of Australian fashion the opportunity to participate in the event.
The Changemakers will participate in varying capacities including programming, content integrations and runway shows.
The 2022 Changemakers include: Alix Higgins, Byron Spencer, Charlee Fraser, Charlotte Agnew, Danielle Plaisted, Eugene Leung, Hanan Ibrahim, Laura Mazikana, Liandra Gaykamangu, Sean Brady and Serwah Attafuah.
In collaboration with IMG, Attafuah, a self-taught digital artist from Western Sydney, brought each of the Changemakers to life through her art, with Changemaker Laura Mazikana pictured above.
The AAFW: The Talks presentation will return to the event and feature discussions: Empowering Voices: Fashion’s Cultural Impact on Representation and Inclusion; Digital Fashion: The New Frontier; First Nations Fashion + Design: Yours, Mine and Ours; and, Back of House.
IMG has also worked with City of Sydney to produce a sustainable event via waste minimisation, resource management and energy efficiency.
One such initiative will be the provision of 2,500 reusable water bottles to all staff, reducing the presence of single-use plastic at the event.
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade and Minister for Tourism, Stuart Ayres said the event underpins the importance of retail tourism to the economy.
"The NSW Government is proud to support Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, which not only contributes to the cultural offering of Sydney but also helps ignite growth in our state’s creative and retail industries by providing opportunities for designers to showcase their creativity and forge new pathways to market.
"This year’s schedule of events illustrates why Sydney is recognised globally as a hub of inspiration and innovation in the fashion world.
"Fashion Week also underscores the importance of retail tourism, which is a key pillar in achieving our goal of making NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific," he said.
Consumers interested in attending AAFW can purchase tickets to a selection of runway shows and programming via AAFW: The Experience - the event's consumer offering.
Designer shows to be featured at AAFW 2022 include:
- Aaizel
- Adaptive Clothing Collective
- Aje
- Alix Higgins
- All Is A Gentle Spring
- Anna Antal
- Apartment
- Asta Resort
- Auteur
- Bassike
- Beare Park
- Bec + Bridge
- Bianca Spender
- Bondi Born
- By Weave
- Daniel Avakian
- Dyspnea
- Emma Pills
- Erik-Yvon
- Esse
- First Nations Fashion + Design
- Gary Bigeni
- Gyre
- Hansen & Gretel
- Haulier
- Henne
- Indigenous Fashion Projects
- Injury
- Iordanes Spyridon Gogos
- Jordan Dalah
- Joslin
- Karla Špetić
- L’idée
- Mariam Seddiq
- Matteau
- Nicol & Ford
- One Mile
- Oroton
- Romance Was Born
- Rumer
- Sass & Bide
- St. Agni
- The Curve Edit
- The Innovators: Fashion Design Studio TAFE NSW
- Torannce
- We Are Kindred
- Wynn Hamlyn