The future of Australian fashion: Meet Australian Fashion Week’s 2024 Changemakers
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB TENNANT
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
The people defining Australian fashion’s cultural impact.
Sometimes, all you need as an emerging creative is a little push. Since 2021, Australian Fashion Week (AFW) has provided up-and-coming fashion talent the opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage. For the fourth year running, IMG’s Changemakers program is spotlighting those “leveraging fashion as a cultural catalyst”.
As an official media partner of AFW, Fashion Journal is bringing you the need-to-know information about this year’s blockbuster event. Running from May 13 to 17 at Carriageworks in Sydney, the 2024 program, presented by Pandora, features runway shows, emerging designer showcases, talks and special events.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
The 2024 Changemakers will be getting involved in the Fashion Week festivities in a multitude of ways, including content integrations, runway shows and programming. From a creative consultant and leading hair educator to fashion activists, this year’s Changemakers cohort are all trailblazers in their own right. Get to know them better below.
Kim Russell
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Known to her 170,000-plus Instagram followers as @thekimbino, Kim Russell is an Australian archivist, stylist and creative. She’s loved for her unapologetic hot takes and witty sartorial commentary, cementing her as one of the internet’s favourite fashion brains.
James Bartle
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James Bartle is the founding CEO of Outland Denim, the Australian B-corp-certified denim brand known for its innovative approach to social and environmental sustainability. The Outland Denim business model provides jobs and resources to women affected by human trafficking, giving every team member the chance to earn a living wage.
Rumbie Mutsiwa
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One of Australia’s leading curl experts, Rumbie Mutsiwa is a hair educator and owner of Sydney’s Rumbie & Co Salon. After moving from Zimbabwe to Australia at 17, Rumbie made it her mission to open minds to new ways of caring for, styling and living with curls.
Elaine George
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In 1993, 17-year-old Arakwal woman Elaine George became the first Indigenous model to appear on the cover of Vogue Australia. After a hiatus from the industry, Elaine has returned to fashion as a model, educator and mentor for young First Nations models.
View Australian Fashion Week’s entire schedule here.
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