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Australian Fashion Council introduces 12 Designers to Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week will spotlight 12 Australian designers, bringing diverse creative identities and growing international ambition to Paris.
The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) has selected 12 designers for the inaugural Australian Fashion Rooms, its largest international trade initiative to date.
Running from 30 September to 4 October 2026 at Galerie Poggi, during Paris Fashion Week Womenswear SS27, the initiative will create a dedicated space for international buyers, media and industry leaders to discover Australian fashion.
Australian Fashion Rooms makes its Paris debut
Led by the AFC and supported by Austrade through the Trade Diversification Network and Create NSW through the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy 2025–2028, the program combines export preparation, industry engagement and an in-market showroom in one of the world’s most influential fashion capitals.
Ahead of Paris, participating designers have undertaken a structured readiness program covering wholesale and export preparation, market-facing brand positioning and the presentation of their collections to international audiences.
The initiative forms part of the AFC’s broader strategy to strengthen international pathways for an industry that contributes $27.2 billion to the Australian economy and generates$7.2 billion in exports annually.
Twelve designers showcasing the diversity of Australian fashion
Australian fashion has developed at a distance from the industry’s traditional centres. That distance has encouraged designers to build on their own terms, fostering a strong sense of independence, resourcefulness and creative identity.
The cohort represented at the Australian Fashion Rooms reflects this distinct Australian perspective by bringing together emerging, evolving and established names: Amy Lawrance, BUAI, Caroline Reznik, ESSE, HALUMINOUS, ILIO NEMA, MAARA Collective, madre natura, Miimi & Jiinda, Ngali, Paolo Sebastian and Romance Was Born
Together, they span couture, refined and directional ready-to-wear, First Nations-led practice, artisanal craft and experimental design.
Different approaches to Australian fashion
The breadth of the selection reflects very different approaches to Australian fashion. Amy Lawrance develops garments through pattern, construction and material experimentation, while MAARA Collective and Miimi & Jiinda place Indigenous art, Country and cultural storytelling at the centre of their practices. Paolo Sebastian, meanwhile, brings traditional couture techniques and atelier craftsmanship from Adelaide to an international audience.
From domestic visibility to international growth
Half of the cohort have also previously been platformed during Australian Fashion Week through group presentations or individual runway shows, reinforcing the initiative’s role as a next step from domestic visibility towards international commercial development.
This season also reflects a broader momentum for Australian fashion in Paris, with an evolving record of Australian designers and brands presenting showrooms during the Fashion Week.
A growing fashion dialogue between Australia and France
While Paris remains a strategic gateway to international buyers, media and global fashion networks for Australian designers, French luxury houses are deepening their engagement with Australia too. Chanel's upcoming Cruise 2026/27 show in Sydney on 5 November 2026 is a clear example, further connecting the Australian market with one of France's most influential fashion houses.
These initiatives point to a broader dialogue between the two fashion ecosystems — one increasingly shaped by commercial exchange, craftsmanship, culture and international ambition.
To further strengthen this dialogue, the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FACCI) will bring together luxury-sector members and the Australian Fashion Council on Wednesday 4 November, for a Luxury and Retail Roundtable hosted by Cartier. Centred on “Australian Luxury vs French Luxury: Culture, Identity & Consumer Expectations”, the discussion will explore how heritage, brand identity and consumer expectations shape the two markets. You can register your interest here.
