From 1996 to 2026: My first Australian Fashion Week
images supplied
as told to Lara Daly
“There were no cameras in our pockets back then, the word ‘selfie’ didn’t even exist.”
For three decades, Australian Fashion Week has acted as a hub for the biggest names in the local industry, whether it be designers, stylists, journalists, photographers, bloggers, models, makeup artists and media partners, like Fashion Journal.
Founded in 1996 by Simon Lock, the first Australian Fashion Week was a far cry from the event we know today. Pre-social media and blogs, it was the blueprint: glamorous runways, backstage adrenaline and debaucherous after parties. Naturally, the event has been a hotbed of memories ever since.
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In celebration of its 30th year, we asked a range of local creatives, including industry veterans who were there since day dot, to get nostalgic and share a story and photograph from their first AFW. Of course, not all memories have accompanying photos. There was no Instagram in the nineties, you just had to be there.
Peter Morrisey, fashion designer
I attended AFW from the very beginning in 1996. The first two years were under Morrissey Edmiston and after that it was Morrisey until 2024, so I participated in nine years of shows.
Simon Lock, the visionary creator, approached me to sign up because he believed that if I joined, other designers would follow. I was more than happy to do so, as his vision aimed to support every designer and the wider industry, helping us reach our highest potential in Australia and achieve a world-class standard.
I’m proud to say that Simon’s belief in me, and my belief in him, was absolutely correct. After he announced my participation, every designer signed up, and the shows were the incredible success I always knew they would be, thanks to his determination and vision.
My favourite memory was seeing the whole industry working together to make AFW succeed. It wasn’t a competition it was a collaboration – fashion designers, models, model agencies, hair and makeup artists, PR companies, media agencies, magazines, editors, fashion writers, TV, newspapers, Sydney nightlife… and of course, Marion Hume naming my 1996 AFW Show as number seven in her ‘Top 10 Fashion Moments’ worldwide.
Charlie Brown, fashion designer
My first Australian Fashion Week was 1997 and I still have the invitation to prove it. I sent my guests a Barbie doll dressed in a miniature gown printed with all the event details. Very me, I know.
The show was held at the Sydney Showground in Paddington, with Linda Evangelista on the runway. If you know Linda, you know she famously said she wouldn’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day, so we put a bed on the catwalk and made her prove it. Wednesday morning in Sydney never looked so good.
AFW was still finding its feet back then, and there was something genuinely thrilling about watching Australian fashion come together and build something real, even knowing that some wouldn’t survive the ride. The Airstream trailers used as dressing rooms. The chaos. It was pure magic.
We had one of the most popular stands at fashion week. Chicken sandwiches from Serena Sanderson, champagne flowing all day, flokati rugs and beaded drapes with low lounge seating. It felt less like a trade show and more like the best party in Sydney.
What did I wear? Honestly darling, it was 1997. Whatever it was, I’m certain it was fabulous.
Lisa Seiffert, model
My first Australian Fashion Week was in 1996 and I was 14 years old. I was there as a model and had already been working for a couple of years, so I felt quite at ease in that world. I was also quite a wild child at that age, and pretty fearless, so I threw myself into it.
I was such a fan of Collette Dinnigan at the time. Her show was always the one I was most excited for, it was an honour to model for her. There was something so ethereal, romantic and whimsical about her work, it felt almost dreamlike to wear. I remember delicate beading and this very subtle use of sparkle, never overpowering, just enough to catch the light.
What stayed with me most was the feeling of being transported and transformed. It was like stepping into another world, one you never wanted to leave. There was this mix of energy, escapism, and adrenaline, everything felt heightened in the best way.
Bettina Liano, fashion designer
I participated in the very first AFW, in May 1996. One day, Simon Lock came to see me at my office with, what I thought, was a great idea. He wanted to create a fashion show platform to showcase our industry, to bring awareness to the public and primarily the media. I was behind it all the way.
I also loved the opportunity of having a 10 metre runway with proper stage lighting and the freedom to create the atmosphere that I wanted in my show. I recall attending the very first press conference. The media were somewhat bemused by the concept. I remember pointing out to them that they should support our Australian industry and that we needed them to in order to effectively have an industry. They got on board and the shows became a great success. In the years that followed, as a direct result of showing at AFW, I sold into some international department stores such as Barneys in New York.
I would have probably been wearing jeans, a plunging V neck black leather vest and very very high heels. I recall the ‘first look’ was the iconic low rise button fly, velvet jeans with a jersey tailored body shirt – our ‘signature look’ at the time. Leather tops and pants, velvet pant suits and lots of denim. Jewel-toned satin tops and signature draped jersey dresses. The colour palette was chocolate, teal, navy, burgundy and lots of black.
Olympia Christou, model
In 2005 I was finally old enough to fly to Sydney for mum’s show [Bettina Liano]. It was the first time I really understood the development and work that went into it. It also fell on Mother’s Day which was really special.
Then I had my modelling debut at AFW in 2018. For my first season, my first look was a silk gold dress for Dion Lee at the Opera House. I remember this sparked my love for the industry. I also remember meeting Miranda Kerr after mum’s show, right at the beginning of her career.
Karinda Mutabazi, stylist
My first was supposed to be in 2021 styling Erik Yvon’s collection as part of the Next Gen show case. I ended up styling the show on FaceTime as the boarder got shut down. So I officially attended in 2022, where I styled Erik Yvon’s first solo show and dressed the iconic Thelma Plum for her attendance throughout the week.
A true pinch-me moment was getting to meet the legendary Jenny Key outside the Romance Was Born runway. I was wearing Strateas Carlucci with a Flamingo Park vest (a treasured possession I picked up at Bruce) and my styling kit over my shoulder because I was there working. She spotted me as soon as she got out of the car and came straight over to inspect it.
Liz Sunshine, photographer
My first AFW was 2009. I was working with Green With Envy, one of those stores that felt genuinely iconic at the time. I was photographing for a couple of reasons, I had my own blog, and I’d pass relevant images back to Green With Envy as well. We didn’t really have a clear sense of what fashion week involved, we just showed up.
I remember my friend Sasha pointing out all the famous models like I was getting a guided tour. There were international buyers and the bloggers of that era: Susie Bubble, Candice Lake, Tommy Ton. In Australia, Oracle Fox was the blog everyone was paying attention to. And even though we were online, Instagram didn’t exist yet so the whole ecosystem was completely different.
Because we didn’t know what we were doing, I hadn’t applied for accreditation. Then, somehow, my friend was mistaken for Yasmin Sewell, who was very much the fashion it-girl of the moment and we were waved through with full access. I ended up shooting street style alongside a couple of international photographers, as there was no local street style scene to speak of, just us and the people who worked in the industry. A world far removed from the street style of today.
It was one of the last years AFW was held at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, and the location carried a kind of presence that felt genuinely aligned with the international fashion weeks of the time – Paris beneath the Eiffel Tower, that sort of thing. Looking out to the Opera House, beneath the Harbour Bridge, it made the whole thing feel like it belonged on a world stage. Which is part of why I’m so excited that AFW is returning to Sydney Harbour this year. It feels like something coming full circle.
Nicole Thompson aka Pinkii, makeup artist
Painting faces at Fashion Week was always the dream. As a young makeup artist, I was constantly manifesting it while working obsessively to build every skill I thought I’d need backstage. My very first AFW was in 2006 as part of the MAC Pro Team. This was it. I’d made it.
Wearing all black, a perfectly clean brush belt and the biggest smile imaginable, I stepped into the beautiful chaos of the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay. I was nervous, over-prepared, and carrying far too much in my kit — convinced I needed to be ready for absolutely anything while working under some of the best makeup directors in the country.
I fell in love instantly with the whirlwind of backstage life – the frenzy, the pressure, the creativity. I loved trying to perfect a sharp black liquid liner while holding my breath on the bouncing floors of the makeup trailer. I loved squeezing backstage into impossible corners to paint a glossy red lip while a model was literally being dressed. That first Fashion Week did something to my soul, I was completely addicted.
Renya Xydis, hair stylist
To celebrate AFW’s 30th year, I’m going right back to the beginning: 1996. I was there as an assistant, working on Tea Rose and Zimmermann. Kevin Ford was the hair director and Jaryd Clark produced the show – he went on to produce international shows for major fashion houses.
Back then, there were no sponsorships. You were chosen because you were an editorial hairdresser. I invested in a beautiful Collette Dinnigan outfit because it was my first Fashion Week, and I wanted to feel the part.
My favourite memory was the feeling of awe. It was polished, fresh, exciting, and it opened my eyes to what was possible. It gave me a vision. As for a photo? There were no cameras in our pockets back then, the word ‘selfie’ didn’t even exist.
Chloe Hill, stylist
My first Australian Fashion Week was in 2010, I was an overworked underpaid (read: unpaid) intern, so excited to be given tickets to some shows. Being an intern, they weren’t in my name of course. I was just filling the space, because someone on the fashion team at the mag was given GA and didn’t want to go without a seating assignment. I was more than happy to take any scraps I could get!
I remember huge long lines to get in just to the standing section, Fashion Week was so hyped up because things weren’t all online. We didn’t have Instagram so it felt super exclusive. When I was waiting in the GA section outside, a paparazzi came up to me and asked me if I was Anna Plunkett from Romance Was Born. I’ve never forgotten that moment and proceeded to tell anyone, any moment I could.
Manahou Mackay, model
The first I really remember was 2021. I was modelling and losing all my hair from being platinum blonde at the time. I wore so many amazing looks, my favourite was probably a black crochet Christopher Esber cocktail dress. That collection is very nostalgic to me as it was shortly after a period of interning at the house. I remember feeling very at home and in community.
Melissa Hoyer, journalist
My first was in 1996, a veritable veteran! I was the fashion director and editor of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers – back when newspapers were the ultimate way of communicating through the media – and I was also executive producer and host of Australia’s first fashion show, Fox Fashion, which was on the Foxtel subscription television network.
I was working incredibly hard, so I would’ve worn a lot of Gucci-inspired, low wasted velvet and satin pants with tight silk shirts and a Gucci belt buckle. I had incredibly early mornings, so I needed clothes that could survive the entire day going to shows, interviewing backstage, doing television and radio and also heading off to a couple of nighttime shows and after parties.
Throughout the day I would be filing copy for my newspaper and columns, and editing pictures so it really was a total non-stop week. I would also get home late to file more copy. In retrospect I don’t know how most of us in the everyday media did it – but hey, we did have youth on our side!
One of my favourites was when Collette Dinnigan did her show at the extraordinary house – Boomerang – in Elizabeth Bay, and we were all seated at long tables and the models walked up and down the tables then after the show, it just turned into a huge party!
Other shows that really stick in my mind include a killer and very sexy solo show from Peter Morrissey; when Bondi Iceberg’s then boss Maurizio Terzini turned icebergs into a runway space for his brand, 10 pieces; when Akira Isogawa bought his models out wearing socks because he couldn’t afford shoes, while every Romance Was Born show was a pure and extraordinary entertaining spectacle. Charlie Brown flew out a number of big name stars like Jade Jagger, Sophie Dahl and Paris Hilton – that was always great fun as I would get to interview them.
Maggie Zhou, fashion editor
My first AFW was in 2022. I’d been attending Melbourne’s fashion weeks since 2014, so I was really excited and intrigued about Australia’s most prestigious fashion week. I was there as Refinery29’s writer and producer and covered some of the week’s shows and stories on site and on socials.
I wore an Esse Studios strapless black dress, which I rented from Rntr (now Revibe). It was an intense week, but exhilarating. What I remember most from the whirlwind week is the nightly takeaway I had in my hotel room. That decompression and solo time was needed!
Jordan Gogos, fashion designer
Jordan and model Alvi Chung in 2021
My debut show was at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week in 2021, run by IMG. I wore a Galliano hat given to me by Patrick Church, a shirt I stitched together the night before with all of the fabrics of the collection mashed together, Prada nylon trackies and Nike runners.
My whole family came backstage trembling. So many of my closest friends I met through the show or came together to support me. It was a really special time for I think many of us. I didn’t lock my front door for close to three months – everyone would just walk in and out so backstage felt like home instantly.
Martin Walsh, managing director at Chadwick Models
Mine would be the very first one in 1996, at Hordern Pavilion as I recall. And every one since, in my capacity at Chadwick Models. We had a large contingent of models involved as we do each year.
My favourite memory was probably the Morrisey show in those early years. It was the first to have very elaborate production and a rock concert vibe to it. Not sure if it was that year that all the models were posed as the set spun around showing them all posed in various positions, possibly smoking… and then one by one strutting down the runway under a huge mirror ball and thumping music. I remember one of our girls, Kate Lillicrap, wore a sparkling mini Australia flag dress that got alot of attention.
Bianca O’Neill, journalist
Bianca (right) in 2014
My first documented attendance on my Instagram appears to be in 2014, back when it was still Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. As a freelance journalist, I was probably writing for some publication or another, but I also had a blog called The Second Row (RIP).
I remember thinking it was a huge deal to go to the We Are Handsome runway – a friend of mine worked with them and we got the inside track for frow tickets. They were so huge back in the day. I wore this pop yellow Kookai dress with a green blazer over the top, paired with a choker I still have to this day. I wanted to be on theme and colourful.
It really wasn’t the spectacle it is nowadays, most people were just there for work. Some limited fashion bloggers were emerging and creating waves amongst the old guard of journalists and editors, but it was just a handful compared to the number of influencers, TikTokkers, streamers and podcasters, and whatever else these days. There was definitely the vibe of ‘you have to earn your place’, so you would see the same people year after year. These days the frow is much more focused on who is ‘hot right now’.
Giulia Brugliera, managing editor at Fashion Journal
My first AFW was a blur. I can’t recall what year but it was pre-Covid, and definitely when the Mercedes-Benz initials were still attached, so close to a decade ago? I think it was the year Bella Hadid walked (I missed it).
Until then, my official Fashion Week experiences had been confined to Melbourne’s two annual events, which are almost entirely consumer-facing with comparatively few designer-curated shows. It was exciting to see the designer’s vision come to life across all elements, from lighting to music to seating to set design. But disappointingly, no live rats.
What impressed me most at AFW was the peacocking (complimentary) outside Carriageworks. It was shocking compared to Melbourne’s scene at the time, where hopefuls were maybe less obvious? Regardless, entire careers were once built from these pre-runway moments, so it was surreal to watch this play out in real time.
Lord knows what I wore, but no one wanted to photograph me. I was almost certainly wearing only black in some understated silhouette. Boring, but very me.
Daisy Henry, assistant editor at Fashion Journal
I attended AFW for the first time last year and was the on-ground correspondent for Fashion Journal for a whirlwind 48 hours. I boarded a red-eye flight to Sydney, jumped in an Uber and was seated at my first runway by 10am. I was tasked with attending shows, social media and writing articles about runways and street style.
The whole time I was operating on adrenaline. I felt beyond lucky to be there, but I was also hyper self-aware and battling with some imposter syndrome. With each show, I found my groove a little more, and I loved being stationed in the media room between shows with the other media girlies. It was a pretty defining experience, to be honest. I remember feeling so nervous going by myself, but when I actually paused to take stock of where I was, and that I got to call it ‘work’, I felt like the luckiest person.
For the 2026 AFW schedule, head here.
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