The Tasmanian Fashion Festival has scaled its reach by more than 50 per cent between 2023 and 2025.
Total participation – from visitors to exhibitors – grew from 572 attendees in 2023 to 1,215 in 2025, with notable growth among interstate volunteer contributors and interstate visitors. The festival also saw 8 international attendees this year, up from 2 in 2023, and from zero in the festival’s maiden year in 2022.
The consumer-focused fashion festival was held across two days at Princes Wharf No 1 (PW1) on Hobart’s waterfront, with an opening night on October 11 and a main festival day on October 12.
This year’s runway program featured 28 emerging designers from across the state, alongside established designers including Ziolkowski Evening & Bridal, House of Frankie & Rosie, NordicSouth, Tux, The Sewing Room, Vivi Al Ago, Alla Fashion, Balouch and Spotted Quoll.
Other key event features included a Q&A session with Romy The Brand founder and creative director Em Petterwood, Australian broadcaster and actress Christie Hayes and Tasmanian Fashion Festival president Tanya Ellis.
Ellis told Ragtrader that the 2025 event marked a significant evolution for the festival, with a greater focus on individual runway showcases.
“This year, designers were given the opportunity to present their full collections in dedicated runway segments, having greater control on their creative vision and design narrative,” Ellis said. “In previous years, the festival featured combined showcases with multiple designers sharing the runway.
“The move to individual presentations reflects the growth of Tasmania’s fashion community and the expansion of Tasmanian labels in the past few years.”