Australia fashion week 2018: five labels making their debuts on the catwalk
Beginning this Sunday, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2018 will see I.Am.Gia, Leo + Lin, Acler, Client Liaison and Chris Ran Lin all making their first big catwalk splashes
Emerging labels are the lifeblood of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, the 23rd edition of which runs from May 13 to 18 at Sydney’s Carriageworks multi-arts centre.
While it’s great to see the big names of Australian fashion on the event’s catwalks, many labels that rose to prominence thanks to the event have gone on to grow internationally and now dedicate their marketing budgets to fashion weeks in New York, London or Paris.
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Names like Dion Lee, Sass & Bide, Alice McCall, Ksubi – all major players now – were virtually unknown before they showed in Sydney. That’s why every year, buyers from across the globe make the trek down under, looking for Australia’s Next Big Things.
Over 90 designers will present their resort 2019 collections at this year’s event. They will do so in either solo or group shows, or at the on-site showroom facility called The Suites, which has doubled in size since its inception last year thanks to demand from designers.
The biggest names at this year’s event include Camilla and Marc, which is opening the event on May 13, and the totally unrelated Camilla, which is closing the trade component of the week on May 18 – before it extends into the consumer-focused Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weekend.
Other labels on show include Alice McCall, Christopher Esber, Ten Pieces, Akira, Double Rainbouu, Romance Was Born, Anna Quan, New Zealand’s Karen Walker, and the London-based Still Still Studio and Emilia Wickstead.
