Photo Diary: A glimpse into Nicol and Ford’s ‘Feint’, ahead of its AFW showcase

As told to Fashion Journal

“We see this shift not as a retreat but as a form of poetic resistance.”

When Nicol and Ford put on a show, it’s never just a show. While runways traditionally offer a rare opportunity for designers to bring people together as a new body of work is revealed, for Katie-Louise and Lilian Nicol-Ford, “it’s also a space for provocation… a way to bring research, form, movement and place into dialogue within a single, time‑bound event to position fashion as a cultural language, rather than purely a commercial proposition.”

This Thursday night, guests will see this come to life at the label’s off-site showcase, Feint, as part of Australian Fashion Week (AFW). Marking Nicol and Ford’s fifth consecutive AFW show, this year’s runway will be held at Elizabeth Bay House, a historic residence managed by Museums of History NSW.

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“The site has long associations with bohemian and queer artistic life and sits directly opposite the apartment where Adrian Feint lived and painted for much of his life, overlooking the same harbour view which formed the backdrop of his paintings,” Katie-Louise and Lilian say.

“As our practice has evolved, we have increasingly recognised the narrative power of locations – places that allow the collection to be experienced not simply as fashion, but within a broader historical and cultural framework that deepens the audience’s encounters with the work.”

In a period of social and political unease, and following the darker, more overtly political themes of their recent collections Thorn in 2024 and Parrhesia in 2025, this year’s project marks a deliberate turning towards joy, beauty and love.”It’s really all about the celebratory, camp dimensions of queer aesthetics. We see this shift not as a retreat but as a form of poetic resistance,” they add.

As always, the collection will be presented through community casting, reinforcing the designers’ belief in the power of fashion to centre lived experience, and reminding the industry of what’s possible when communities are brought meaningfully into previously inaccessible spaces.

The show has been developed in dialogue with several close collaborators, including Archibald Prize finalist, Natasha Walsh, who has worked on a series of hand-painted gowns, while Phoebe Hyles returns across millinery and jewellery. Sculptural elements have been realised with Amanda Testa, alongside metalwork by Tobias Sangkhul, nail artistry by Libby May, and silicone interventions by Julian Dimase.

This year, the duo will extend that experience beyond the runway, expanding the show into an eight‑week exhibition at Elizabeth Bay House. Titled Treading Feintly, the exhibition will feature key pieces from the collection alongside the work of Adrian Feint and will be free and open to the public.

Ahead of the show on May 14, Nicol and Ford have offered us a glimpse into the preparation and BTS of Feint.

Sourcing and fabrics

Gorgeous pieces delivered by our close friend and collaborator, Amanda Testa, who has created surrealist three-dimensional bust cups from remnant fabric.

Cut garment pieces painted by artist Natasha Walsh are awaiting assembly.

Brass and copper appliqués by Tobias Sangkhul for some of our footwear. Each one is hand-cut, sanded and shaped into hibiscus petals.

Trialling hair, makeup and nails

Gorgeous Ella Drinkwalter at the hair and makeup trial, mid-transformation under the watchful eyes of John Pulitano (for Original Minerals) and Nicole “Pinkie” Thompson (for MAC).