The Met Gala might be behind us, but the biggest annual event of Sydney’s fashion calendar is just around the corner. Australian Fashion Week (AFW) will be taking over Carriageworks for four fabulous days – transforming the sprawling post-industrial space into a central hub of talks, workshops and runways for Australia’s fashion royalty.
AFW 2025 kicks off on Monday, May 12, and will run until Friday, May 16. While 2024 saw the event open up to the public – with many shows, talks and pop-up bars available to attend without any affiliation with the fashion industry – this year’s event is more of an industry-focused affair. The not-for-profit model is designed to boost Australia’s fashion and design industries, bringing emerging designers and students together with some of the biggest names in the industry including Alix Higgins, Bianca Spender, Carla Zampatti, Aje, Romance Was Born and SIR. the label.
And though it’s designed for the fashion industry, don’t let that intimidate you – there are plenty of ways us mere mortals can get involved with Sydney’s biggest celebration of style.
First up, Second Life Markets (one of Australia’s most beloved vintage and second-hand markets) is popping up at Machine Hall with a huge archive sale, bringing an impeccable curation of clothes and accessories to the stunning CBD space from Saturday, May 10 until Sunday, May 11 (book your tickets here). Two weeks later, on Saturday, May 24, Machine Hall is playing host to a huge boundary-blending fashion and music event showcasing some of Australia’s most progressive designers and DJs (you can score tickets to that here).
Want to get runway-ready? On Tuesday, May 13 and Wednesday, May 14, the beloved skincare brand Weleda will transform Le Petal in the CBD into a backstage-style setting – with free skin-loving juices and skincare and make-up experts on hand to share tips and tricks.
The following night, on Thursday, May 15, cult beauty brand MCoBeauty are transforming The Royal Darlington (just steps away from the AFW hub at Carriageworks) into a pop-up beauty bar, complete with free beauty products, merch, food and drinks. This one's a first-in best-dressed situation, so we'd suggest getting in early (it's running from 5pm until 9pm on Thursday, May 15).
Brought to life this year by Shark Beauty, AFW 2025 will feature a pop-up salon that’s open to Fashion Week attendees for free hair styling sessions throughout the week (you can book your free styling session here).
Want to staycation in Sydney like the fashion elite? Capella has partnered with AFW 2025 as the official hotel partner, with special rates for attendees and fashion-related activations.
Though Carriageworks will serve as the hub, additional AFW-related events will be popping up across the city, and runways will be streamed virtually at australianfashionweek.com.
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