The Australian Fashion Council (AFC), NSW Government and Austrade will establish a dedicated showroom at Paris Fashion Week as part of a landmark deal.
Up to 15 Australian designers will be selected to take part in the activation, titled ‘Global Gateways: Paris 2026’, showcasing their latest styles in a centrally located showroom hosted in the ‘Womenswear SS27’ segment of the Week.
This will be supported by a pre-departure export readiness program, engagement at the Australian Ambassador's Residence, and a cocktail reception for international buyers, press and designers.
The program is delivered with support from Austrade through the Accessing New Markets Initiative's (ANMI) Trade Diversification Network and Create NSW as part of the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy. ANMI is the Australian Government's $50 million export diversification program jointly delivered by Austrade and industry. The AFC is one of 40 national peak industry bodies selected to participate in the Trade Diversification Network.
Applications are open across two pathways: an AFW Track for designers who presented at Australian Fashion Week in 2025 or 2026, and a competitive national application program open to the broader AFC membership.
Applications close June 30, 2026, via the AFC website, with the final cohort to be announced in July 2026.
The cohort will include emerging and established designers, with dedicated places for First Nations designers. NSW designers are supported through Create NSW's investment, with $250,000 allocated specifically to support emerging designers to grow their export markets.
AFC executive chair Marianne Perkovic said the Paris activation marks a structural step-change for how Australian fashion engages with global markets.
"Australian fashion has always had the talent,” Perkovic said. “What has been missing is the infrastructure — the kind of coordinated, government-backed presence that takes designers beyond individual market forays and into sustained international relationships.
Australian trade minister Don Farrell said the initiative follows Australia's recently secured trade deal with the European Union, opening a market of approximately 450 million people across 27 countries to Australian designers.
Australian fashion contributes $27.2 billion to the national economy, employs approximately 489,000 Australians — 77 per cent of them women — and generates $7.2 billion in exports annually.
In NSW, the industry contributes $9.7 billion to the state economy and employs more than 174,000 people.
NSW minister for the arts John Graham said the strength of the fashion industry, even at a state level, proves why the government is backing it through the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy.
He said that during the build phase of the strategy, the top priority that was put forward was the need for industry and governments to work together to grow export pathways for Australian designers.
“Australian designers, with their iconic and fresh styles, are already internationally sought after, but the truth is, we have more talent to share,” Graham said.