Alémais unveiled its resort 2027 collection this week on Illa del Rei, a tiny island off Menorca, Spain. Drawing on the geometry and colour of Catalan architecture, the collection featured a collaboration with artist Sophie Wahlquist, whose playful motifs felt perfectly at home in the brand’s increasingly recognisable visual universe.

Meanwhile, Zimmermann also presented its resort 2027 collection this week, finding inspiration in Australia’s underdog win at the 1983 America’s Cup. Rather than defaulting to nautical clichés, the brand mined the technical details of sailing apparently, mimicking the lines of sails and sailing gear in silhouette.

The collection underscored how far the notion of resort wear has evolved. Once designed primarily for warm-weather escape, the category now seeks to satisfy customers dressing year round for vastly different climates and occasions. It was clear that Zimmermann is grappling with this expanding definition. “We have a massive clientele in Florida that this collection is incredibly important for,” said co-founder and designer Nicky Zimmermann. “But then [clients] are also in New York, and they’ll want the coloured shearling, and they’ll want the long lace dress. For me, it really makes sense to be able to try and answer those questions.”

One of the more entertaining moments on Australian fashion TikTok came courtesy of Melbourne creator, @melb-muse101, whose brutally honest takes on the industry have earned her a small but devoted following.

Her latest target was none other than Henne. In a video captioned “Why are we buying Henne denim,” Melb Muse questioned why consumers would spend upwards of $250 on a pair of jeans from the brand, rather than a dedicated denim specialist. The video quickly found its way to Henne co-founder Nadia Bartel, who jumped into the comments seeking to unpack the statement:

Melb Muse countered that brands like Agolde will remain her preference because they are made in the United States rather than offshore in China, where Henne’s denim is produced. Bartel declined to engage further in the debate, instead thanking those who left their positive Henne feedback in the comments.

Naturally, that wasn’t the end of it.

In a follow-up TikTok, Melb Muse delivered the simple message:

@melb.style101#henne #brands #fashiontiktok #australia #fyp

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The Fair Work Commission raised Australia’s minimum wage on Monday to $1,004.90 a week, up from $948, a decision the Australian Retail Council says will add further pressure to an industry already drowning.

In a statement, the ARC said the increase would significantly lift labour costs for retailers already navigating weak consumer demand, rising operating expenses and volatile trading conditions. ARC Chief Legal & Industrial Relations Officer, Lindsay Carroll, said the decision would be felt most acutely by small and medium-sized retailers.

Speaking of the struggling retail environment, Roy Morgan released its Future of Retail FY27 report this week, which paints a picture of an incredibly polarised retail sector in which the middle market is being squeezed.

Among other findings, the report highlighted that fashion brands and retailers operating in the middle of the market are struggling to maintain market share and growth.

“At one end, premium retailers are winning through specialisation, experience, and desire,” Roy Morgan head of retail research Catherine Jolly says. “At the other end, value retailers are winning through price certainty, familiarity, geographic spread, and reliability.

“The middle is under pressure because it often asks customers to pay more without giving them enough reason to do so.”

According to the report, Australians haven’t stopped spending altogether. Rather, consumer spending has become increasingly asymmetric, with dollars flowing to retailers that can either justify a premium price tag or deliver on value.

Few businesses exemplify the latter better than Kmart Australia. The giant launched a virtual try-on experience this week as part of a suite of AI-powered shopping tools in partnership with Google. The virtual try-on tool will allow customers to digitally see how outfits would look on them before purchasing.

The technology will sit alongside Joy, Kmart’s AI shopping assistant, which launches across the retailer’s website and app this month. Customers will be able to compare products, search using fashion-specific terms such as style, occasion, colour and budget, and even upload images to receive tailored recommendations.

Chanel set to bring the runway Down Under

In what is arguably the biggest fashion announcement of the year, Chanel has revealed it will stage its resort 2027 runway show in Sydney this November.

The announcement is a significant one. While luxury houses routinely take their resort and Métiers d’Art collections around the world, no other luxury brand has ever staged a show of this scale in Australia.

Chanel has previously taken its pre-collections on the road to the likes of Miami, Tokyo and Hong Kong, and now, for the first time ever, Sydney will join that list.

“The choice of Sydney for the House’s first runway show in Australia resonates with the spirit of the Cruise collection, which is resolutely focused on movement and an elsewhere,” the brand said in a press statement.

The move is the latest sign that Chanel sees Australia as a market worth investing in. Last year, the house opened its largest Australian boutique in Sydney’s historic former David Jones building on Market Street. In Melbourne, its Collins Street flagship is currently undergoing a major refurbishment.

Speaking previously about the Australian market, Chanel Chief Executive Bruno Pavlovsky was unequivocal: “Australia can be much bigger business.”

He’s not wrong. In 2024 it was announced that Australia is the world’s biggest consumer of textiles per capita, buying an average of 56 new pieces of clothing a year.

Chanel has seemingly gravitated towards Australian talent under the creative direction of Matthieu Blazy. Earlier this year, Chanel released a campaign for its 25 Bag featuring Margot Robbie and Kylie Minogue in a reinterpretation of the singer’s ‘Come Into My World’ music video. Australian First Nations models Tayana Perry and Latahlia Hickling also featured in Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection for the house.

Beyond the celebrity factor and inevitable social media frenzy, the Sydney show will have an undeniably positive ripple effect on Australia’s fashion industry. When Chanel staged its resort 2026 collection in Biarritz, the brand worked closely with local artisans, galleries, suppliers and cultural institutions as part of the wider program surrounding the event.

What’s new in Australian fashion

Friend of The Tabi Diaries, Camilla and Marc has presented its pre-fall 2026 collection in a short film shot at the Westin Boulevard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Titled The Power Woman, the film draws inspiration from powerful female archetypes in 80s corporate America.

Camilla and Marc Pre-Fall 2026 short film, The Power Woman

UNIQLO has launched a new knitwear collection using 100 per cent Australian Merino wool sourced from local farms. The collection has been released with the view to reflecting the brand’s commitment to quality, traceability and sustainability.

Jewellery brand Mejuri has opened its second Australian store in Melbourne’s Emporium. The store has been designed with a gallery in mind, fitted with minimalist interiors and neutral finishes alongside a very chic piercing studio.

Global icon Birkenstock has opened a new flagship in a 122 year old building in Melbourne. The old Carlton & United Breweries complex has been totally transformed into a Birkenstock metropolis bringing together the brand’s retail store, repair studio and head office under one roof. For those whose clogs need some love, the repair workshop can replace the soles, buckles, tread and footbeds of your beloved Birks. The workshop is expected to complete more than 5,000 repairs annually, with salvaged leather and other usable materials set to be reused where possible.

-CCW

Enjoy.

Fashion, briefly

Alo, the Los Angeles brand that seems to be on the bum of everybody who’s anybody, has opened its first store in Sydney’s Chatswood Chase precinct. The store’s design is said to be rooted in Alo’s signature “Air, Land, Ocean” philosophy (however that translates to a shopping centre) and offers a selection of men’s and women’s apparel, as well as shoes and accessories.

New Zealand brand Harris Tapper launched in the United States this week in an exclusive partnership with Moda Operandi.

“We instantly saw the potential in Harris Tapper’s fresh take on wardrobing for the US client,” Marc Rofsky, Moda Operandi’s VP of ready-to-wear told Vogue Business. “It has that perfect blend of femininity and confidence that New York women love.”

New York makes up 10 per cent of the brand’s overall sales, so it was a no brainer for founders Sarah Harris Gould and Lauren Tapper to cross the Atlantic, even if the expansion came earlier than expected.

The Devil Wears Zara airs the dirty laundry of Australian glossies

Perhaps you haven’t yet heard of the salacious Substack The Devil Wears Zara. I’d forgive you if you haven’t (obvi too busy reading The Tabi Diaries). For the uninitiated, it’s the anonymous newsletter calling out the sobering reality of the state of glossies in Australia.

“Word on the street is that glossies aren’t feeling so glossy anymore,” reads the bio. “This is the true story of the slow yet dizzying decline of the magazine industry, told through a collection of tales and tidbits.”

The newsletter leaked onto the Australian fashion scene after it was sent to essentially everyone in the industry on 23 April. Since then, blasts with titles like “A guide to finding a financier,” which include lines like “if you want to know what it actually takes to bankroll a career at one of Condé Nast’s Australian titles, just look at the names currently crowning the mastheads. There’s the long-time partner of a Hollywood actor, the daughter of a Perth property tycoon, and the wife of a former Morgan Stanley VP.”

And quizzes with questions like “would you organise cocaine at the Christmas party for your editor?” It’s every bit as juicy and sardonic as its name suggests.

As for who’s behind it, much of the chat on the front row of Australian Fashion Week was taken up with hisses of just who it could be. Lauren Sams, fashion editor at the Australian Financial Review wrote in her AFW wrap up that she knows who it is (before caveating “no, it’s not me.”)

As for me, I have no idea. My fashion friends and I have narrowed it down to a subset of people, but we can’t say for sure. We await a reveal with bated breath.

It’s sales season, baby

It’s sales season baby and all your favourite Australian brands are clearing out their closets. I’ve done the hard work and trawled through the sales pages to find the best of everything (and buying most of it myself).

Brand: Christopher Esber

Sale: 50 per cent off select past season styles

Brand: St Agni

Sale: Up to 60 per cent off selected styled

Brand: Camilla & Marc

Sale: Up to 70 per cent off

Brand: Bassike

Sale: Up to 80 per cent off

-CCW

Fashion, briefly

The Federal Government’s FY26/27 budget landed this week, with many initiatives therein prompting retailers to feel cautiously optimistic. The Australian Retail Council (ARC) has weighed in on the proposal, welcoming protections aimed at ultra-low-cost offshore platforms such as Shein and Temu. The package includes new product safety requirements for low-cost international retailers, temporary tax loss carry-back provisions designed to ease cash-flow pressures and a $20,000 instant asset write-off for eligible retailers – measures all likely to resonate with Australian fashion retailers navigating persistently tight margins.

The ARC has long pushed for greater scrutiny of ultra-fast offshore platforms, on the basis that it is anti-competitive for local operators. Speaking to Ragtrader, the ARC’s chief economist, Glenn Fahey, said the introduction of product safety obligations for the fast-fashion giants is “a good place to start.”

Many a group chat fired up this week to get the girls together for the new The Devil Wears Prada movie. Eagle-eyed fans may have spotted Australian brand Shevoke on Andy Sachs in paparazzi photos during filming. Founder Lisa Hyde told Elle Australia she had sent some Shevoke pieces to production via their PR agency and largely forgot about it, then a few weeks later photos of Anne Hathaway wearing the brand’s Zulu sunglasses started swirling around the internet. How excited would you be?

In slightly random news, The Veronicas are selling their wardrobes on eBay. For the unfamiliar, they’re the Australian duo behind Untouched – a song that always mercilessly cops a beating after midnight. One of the pieces up for grabs is an iconic black and white Alexander McQueen skull scarf. The auctions are available to shop now via Jessie Veronica and Lisa Marie Veronica and wrap up at 7PM AEST this Friday, 22 May. (As a side note, eBay feels utterly ubiquitous

in fashion right now, from sponsoring Vogue Australia’s Vintage Market at Australian Fashion Week, to backing Vogue US’s podcast The Run Through. They have clearly been trying to reposition themselves as a luxury reseller of choice for a while now.)

Australian Fashion Week Wrapped

Whisperings surrounding this year’s AFW

The 30th Australian Fashion Week took place in Sydney last week, spanning 26 shows and 858 looks (not including the off-schedule shows, of which there were many). This is the second year that the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) has been in charge of the event, who took it over from IMG in 2024.

Speaking on the takeover from IMG, AFC CEO Kellie Hush told Process The Podcast “with all due respect to IMG… the industry felt that it had become more of an event than what it was first set up for, which was a trade show… it was to make money for the designers, not for an entity like IMG, so I think brands felt that it had become more of a fashion circus.”

“It had lost its way,” she added. “They weren’t getting the great designers back, people weren’t really invested in what the true sense of what fashion week was. They were there for influencing.”

Since taking the reins, the AFC has shifted the focus of AFW onto the industry and now operates AFW as a not-for-profit event, feeding all proceeds back into the Australian fashion industry.

For the first time, this year’s event took place at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), which led to more off-site shows than usual. On the ground, some editors told me this meant it was a logistical nightmare to make it to each show on time this year, given the shows were more spread apart. This may be why there were fewer shows on the schedule than previous years. The MCA itself is an undeniably beautiful, photogenic space. I did wonder how I would feel as a designer about the green marble surrounds if your collection didn’t jam with the colour green. But perhaps that is just my colour bias talking.

IMG may have left the building but there were plenty of big name models out on the runway: Gemma Ward at Toni Maticevski, Taylor Hill at L’IDEE, Shanina Shaik at Carla Zampatti, Emma Balfour at Aje and Latahlia Hickling (who walked in Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection for Chanel) at Nagnata (and more).

Every year, AFW arrives with the same tired criticisms: ranging from grievances that it isn’t a real fashion week, to an influencer circus, to the industry being too small to sustain it. As someone on the ground who attended multiple shows this season, I can attest to quite the opposite. AFW26 delivered a remarkably strong schedule, anchored by a line up of designers with refined and distinctive design languages.

Much of the criticism says more about Australian culture and our relationship with fashion than it does about the week itself. Unlike some European countries, such as France or Italy, where fashion is considered a pillar of culture and commerce, Australians have a tendency to dismiss the industry as vapid, vain and frivolous. Whether that stems from our shocking case of tall poppy syndrome, deeply entrenched misogyny or simply a broader discomfort with ambition, is another question entirely.

An editor friend remarked to me during the week that the shows lacked the avant-garde edge of their European counterparts. While there is truth to that sentiment, the markets are somewhat incomparable.

Australian designers operate without the financial security of backing from luxury conglomerates such as LVMH, and many are designing for a market that still expects clothes to function commercially first. Perhaps Australian designers also don’t feel the same sense of security in our culture to take risks creatively. Cultural forces or not, Australian resort collections, by nature, will always be more inherently commercial as they require more longevity than seasonal moments. Sure, the result may be a week that is less theatrical, but there’s no denying that Australian brands continue to produce clothes that are wearable, exceptionally well made and, above all, genuinely desirable.

How did AFW26 do in terms of size inclusivity?

Vogue Australia has released its annual size inclusivity report for AFW, and the numbers paint a fairly bleak picture. The report analyses every runway show on the official AFW schedule, tracking the industry’s representation of straight, mid and plus size models.

To compile the data, Vogue’s Head of Brand, Gladys Lai, contacted each brand showing and asked for their full casting list, or summaries thereof, for the Australian Resort 2027 collections. Brands were told that if they failed to provide figures by the date required, or declined to comment altogether, Vogue would independently estimate sizing.

Of the 858 looks presented across the week, just 1.75 per cent were worn by plus-size models (AU18+, US14+), while 9.67 per cent were worn by mid-size (AU10-16 / US6-12). The overwhelming majority at 88.58 per cent were looks worn by straight-size models (AU4-8 / US0-4), making for a 1.33 per cent drop in combined mid-size and plus-size models compared with last year.

“These numbers do not exist in a microcosm,” wrote Lai. “Indeed, they reflect a continual, global decline in the representation of mid and plus-size models across New York, London, Milan and Paris most recently reported by Vogue Business for the autumn/winter ’26/’27 season. The latest research found that, of 7,817 looks across 182 shows, plus-size representation fell to 0.9 per cent – the same as the previous autumn/winter season and the lowest level since Vogue Business began tracking size diversity in 2023.”

The return of heroin chic wasn’t confined to the runway either. Australian Financial Review fashion editor Lauren Sams commented on the shift with characteristic wit: “If you think someone is on Ozempic, they probably are. Don’t ask, because they won’t tell.”

“But there will be signs,” she added. “Like when the publicists are as thin as the runway models, and just about every dessert plate was left untouched at Wednesday’s Airwallex lunch.” Disappointing, certainly, but not especially surprising.

Gary Bigeni

The best of AFW

MATICEVSKI was easily one of the most anticipated shows of the week, marking designer Toni Maticevski’s return to AFW after a decade-long hiatus. The collection was exceptional, a true reminder of how contradictory ideas of structure and fluidity exist harmoniously in the hands of Maticevski.

The brand’s largest market remains the United States, which makes sense for a label deeply rooted in eveningwear and occasion dressing. Speaking with Toni and his publicist at the re-see, they told me that requests for looks for the Cannes Film Festival had already begun rolling in.

ESSE Studios was my favourite collection of the week – and I’m not alone in that assessment. ESSE, short for “essentials,” subscribes to the philosophy that collections should operate as a continuous body of work, similar to the way we approach our wardrobes.

“The DNA behind ESSE is very much about additions,” founder Charlotte Hicks explained. “Our wardrobe is evolving and ever-changing, and it’s about procuring these pieces that work with what you’ve already got.”

Vanessa Spencer, co-founder and brand director of The New Trend, told Ragtrader the label has been one of their strongest performers. It’s unsurprising that ESSE’s philosophy feels particularly poignant at a time when many women are seeking to dress with greater intentionality and longevity in mind. It is a message made all the more compelling when the clothes themselves are as sensual, elegant and self-assured as ESSE’s.

Christian Kimber also emerged as a favourite amongst editors. Writing for Esquire, Benjamin Judd described the collection as “an absolute treat,” while Randy Lai noted in Forbes that the brand offered “everything necessary to get men excited.”

Interestingly, many of the collection’s strongest supporters were women. Around me at the show, guests repeatedly discussed how wearable the pieces felt beyond the confines of traditional menswear. Lauren Sams remarked on Instagram that she would wear every piece of the collection – a sentiment I share.

Lee Mathews was, unsurprisingly, one of the week’s standouts. The real magic, though, was seeing the collection up close at the re-see, where the intricate hand-stitched details, texture, and craftsmanship was even better up close.

Then there was Courtney Zheng, the 29-year-old designer behind her namesake label, who produced what was arguably the coolest collection of the week. Rooted in gothic references and finished with romantic, baroque-like finishes, the collection managed to execute edge without looking out of place during the resort season – which is no small feat in the Australian market. Zheng intimately understands the codes of a certain Australian cool-girl subculture, producing designs that felt edgy, yet wearable and uncompromising on her vision.

In place of traditional show notes, guests found a card on their seats reading: “Community as shelter. Beauty as resistance. Long live the night.”

The most interesting

The final on-schedule show of the week was Ngali, although it generated surprisingly little conversation both on the ground and online. In a week where many designers had sharply defined perspectives, the collection felt a little insipid.

Iordanes Spyridon Gogos delivered the complete opposite. Before heading to the show, one editor-in-chief described Gogos to me as “Australia’s answer to Comme des Garçons.” That may be true, but this show went slightly beyond experimental and into the outright bizarre.

At one point, artist and lady of MONA, Kirsha Kaechelle was literally dragged down the runway by a male model, while seated front row was someone dressed in a life-sized barbeque sauce bottle suit – perhaps a clause that should have been struck from the sponsorship deal.

Karla Špetić also delivered one of the week’s more divisive collections, with editors not holding back as they left the show. Špetić’s signature deconstructed looks were stripped back further this year, while some pieces going so far as to be renders of literal clothing patterns. The combined effect was a small sense of incompleteness.

Then there was L’IDEE Woman, whose show was creatively directed by Pip Edwards – a detail that intrigued some members of the audience. The show had an all-star cast (including Taylor Hill) and the collection itself was great in all its Real Housewives of Sydney glamazon glory. There is a very clear market for these clothes, and likely quite a profitable one.

@savagetextsfromcinSeeing a giant @MasterFoods bottle of BBQ sauce front row at Australian Fashion Week was definitely not on my bingo card. Iordanes Spyridon Gogos show day 4 of AFW #afw #sydney #fashionshow #australianfashion #tarzan

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The most comical

The 7:30am call time and subsequent battering by the elements felt worthwhile for those at the COMMAS show. Guests were treated not only to a rogue swimmer who gatecrashed the runway, but also to one of the week’s most charming collections. Showing an Australian Resort collection on the beach may strike some as slightly on the nose, but I think the location only added to the radiance of this charming, preppy collection.

What’s dropped

Henne has launched a Denim Atelier at its Greville Street boutique in Melbourne. Designed to offer a more intimate, unhurried shopping experience, the atelier offers 45 minute private styling appointments focused specifically on denim, which are available to book online now through to 16 June.

The latest collaboration between Adidas and Song for the Mute has dropped, marking the seventh chapter in their partnership. Titled ADI007, the collection recalls the charm of scrappy, mismatched childhood uniforms, inspired by scuffed school shoes and the unintentional style of youth.

And for those still thinking about the Maticevski runway but lacking either the occasion or budget for a full eveningwear look, there is an answer. Tony Bianco has released a limited edition shoe in collaboration with the label, featuring the same frenzied, sculptural heels seen stomping down the runway last week. Take your pick below.

-CCW

Fashion, briefly

Sydney-based label BEARE PARK has won the contract to re-design Commonwealth Bank’s staff uniform. Before pivoting to fashion design, founder and designer Gabriella Pereira worked in the financial services sector. “I started Beare Park because I couldn’t find workwear that was elevated, well-made, made in Australia and not super-expensive,” Pereira told the Australian Financial Review. Adding that the collaboration is “not too far from the original ethos of Beare Park.” What a sweet full-circle moment.

Buyers from the US, UK, Europe and the Middle East are in town for Australian Fashion Week. Local industry publication, Ragtrader, is running a series featuring key international buyers and their plans whilst in Sydney. Interestingly, Brigitte Chartrand, chief buying and merchandising officer at Net-a-Porter revealed in her feature that Zimmermann and St Agni are the two Australian brands that have sold the most on Net-a-Porter this last year. Honestly, Zimmermann was to be expected, but hearing how popular St Agni is was thrilling to me, having been a long time wearer of the brand.

Kristine Humbert, buying manager at Abu Dhabi’s Tryano department store (a subsidiary of Chalhoub Group), also had a feature. Telling Ragtrader she would mostly be focusing on high glamour brands such as MATICEVSKI, Carla Zampatti and Mariam Seddiq, given that Australian eveningwear is gaining serious interest in the Middle East.

A swathe of new luxury stores have opened in Chatswood Chase, the recently completed $625 million redevelopment on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. The centre brings together more than 20 luxury brands, two of which – Cartier and Louis Vuitton – have already opened. Other brands to set up shop include Dior, Loewe, Celine, Rimowa and Hermès, who will open their doors at some point between now and July.

Other than that, the fashion world is seemingly preoccupied with AFW because outside of the MCA precinct it’s been a slow news week. So let’s get to the main event shall we?

Australian Fashion Week Begins

Monday kicked off with a welcome to country ceremony which was blessed with a rare moment of glorious sunshine in what has otherwise been a hellish grey, wet week so far. First cab off the rank was a runway presentation from Buluuy Mirrii, followed quickly thereafter by Van Ermel Scherer.

MATICEVSKI was arguably the week’s most highly anticipated show. After a decade-long hiatus from the Australian Fashion Week schedule – including stints at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week, as well as a lengthy sabbatical – Toni Maticevski returned to home soil with a 2pm Monday showing. The collection was a lesson in the designer’s signature interplay of movement and structure. You can read my review here.

Next came BEARE PARK, which is always an industry highlight. This collection was undoubtedly more commercial than Pereira’s usual work, but was nonetheless lovely.

Come nightfall, Carla Zampatti showed its Resort 2027 collection, Reflections, on the boardwalk outside Sydney’s Park Hyatt hotel. The show backed onto a sweeping view of the Sydney Opera House (which was difficult to see in the dark) and a docking cruise ship (hopefully not bringing with it some Hantavirus).

The crowd was a delicious exercise in people-watching, particularly given everyone was gritting their teeth and smiling through the downpour (me included). Pip Edwards was seated front and centre, just down the way was former Vogue Australia Editor-in-Chief, Kirstie Clements, even Gladys Berejiklian had a front row seat.

While Carla Zampatti may be beloved by mothers-of-the-bride everywhere, it was clear the brand was aiming for a younger audience with this collection. Body-skimming, side-boob heavy pieces and sheer, sequined leopard-print skirts were difficult to imagine for Zampatti’s primary customer. That said, the runway collection also featured many of the brand’s signatures, such as monochrome fabrics, drapery and silk blouses.

The biggest issue facing the show was Zampatti rolling the dice with the weather and coming up short. Sure, the rain made for some great photos, but all the Australian fashion heavyweights were hammered with a generous onslaught of rain. Real Housewife of Sydney Chrissie Marsh was a good sport about the whole ordeal, hilariously whooping “the show must go on!” as the rain pelted down on her fresh blowout.

Reportedly the brand shipped in 900 umbrellas in preparation for the wet weather, but lord knows where they were. All I had to hand was a limp, disintegrating piece of cardboard that once held the collection’s show notes to shield my already below average blow wave from the elements.

Tuesday morning had the industry up bright and early, once again at the mercy of the elements. Taking place on Tamarama, COMMAS unveiled its latest collection to a slew of fashion editors curled into themselves on wooden benches beneath their respective beach tents.

Perhaps the show’s greatest spectacle arrived courtesy of an unbothered, yet rogue, local swimmer who refused to let the invite-only runway disrupt his morning routine. Wandering down the stairs alongside the models, the Sydneysider gave the crowd a wave before launching into a vigorous warm-up and ocean swim combo. The finishing touch: the ankle bracelet he was sporting, which was either a shark deterrent or house-arrest monitor.

@refinery29auCOMMAS took AFW to the beach this morning, and Sydney immediately reminded us who actually owns it, after all we are a city where your morning run waits for no one. Honestly, very on brand for all of us. 🌊 #AFW #FashionWeek

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Carla Zampatti’s daughter, Bianca Spender, held a show for her eponymous brand in a gritty creative arts studio west of the Sydney CBD. While the guest list at Spender’s show lacked the industry magnates of the Zampatti runway, many of Sydney’s creative set were there – including Dinosaur Designs designer Louise Olsen.

Tuesday afternoon saw back-to-back shows from Courtney Zheng and Aje, before the biggest show of the day presented by Hansen & Gretel. The day was then capped by none other than Alix Higgins. Details of these I will save for Sunday’s salacious recap of everything I saw, did and overheard throughout the week.

What’s on and what’s opened

High Street, Armadale in Melbourne is hosting a “Fashion After Dark” event this Friday, 14 May. The event will see participating stores trade after hours offering exclusive deals, in-store activations and experiences.

P.JOHNSON is hosting a sample sale at 410 Oxford Street in Paddington, Sydney from 14-17 May. Over four days, shoppers will have the chance to snap up past-season styles as well as samples across both menswear and womenswear (bonus: the first 50 customers to make a purchase will also receive a free P.JOHNSON cap with their purchase).

TheEND has opened its new flagship store in Sydney’s Paddington this week, offering a collection of furniture, homewares and clothing – including a residency for Meghan Markle’s favourite Melbourne brand, Friends with Frank.

-CCW

I’m on the 7AM flight to the promised land this Sunday and will be in town for 7 days. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there.

Fashion, briefly

It’s fashion week news galore in the southern hemisphere at the moment, with New Zealand Fashion Week announcing its 2026 schedule this week. Set to kick off on 17 August, the event will feature Harris Tapper, Kathryn Wilson, Elle & Riley and many more. Noticeably absent from the schedule is Wynn Hamlyn, who announced last month that he would be closing up shop.

Most of the shows are open to the public, so treat yourself to the front row if you’re New Zealand based. If you’re also interested in New Zealand designers, you can acquaint yourself with a few of the best here.

The Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion & Textiles published a report this week on the way forward for sustainability in the Australian fashion industry. Titled WORK: Fashion + Sustainability Jobs of the Future, it addresses the change the Australian textiles sector is currently undergoing in response to both global and local pressures (cost-of-living crisis, tariff volatility, regulatory influences, ultra-fast fashion chains and a retiring workforce of skilled machinists and old-school patternmakers).

The report identifies 20 roles that will shape the future of Australian fashion, each driven by reporting mandates, customer demand or cultural shifts and grouped into three categories: The Business of Sustainable Fashion, Design & Circularity and Technology & Advanced Manufacturing. Have a squiz of the report to get a better understanding of each title.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released its recent monthly household spending data this week, which showed a continued resilience in household spending driven, overall, by clothing and footwear sales. Spending on clothing et al. increased 6.34 per cent in the year to March, however, with another interest rate hike (which took the cash rate to 4.35 per cent) things might get a little tighter for our clothing allowances.

Of course, it was also the Met Gala this week. Thrillingly, this year’s event was co-chaired by none other than Nicole Kidman, who wore Chanel (alongside her daughter, Sunday Rose, also in Chanel).

Other homegrown hotties to grace the carpet were Margot Robbie in Chanel, Naomi Watts in Dior, Adut Akech in custom Thom Browne, Miranda Kerr in Dior, Hugh Jackman in Armani and Troy Sivan in Prada.

Aussie Hollywood power-couple Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin (who were both in custom Prada at both the Gala and after-party) hosted one of the after-parties, whose guestlist included Hunter Shafer, Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, Haider Ackermann and Jack Harlow. Noticeably absent from the guest list was myself, whose invite obviously got lost.

Sadly, no Australian designers were worn for the festivities — while I understand the pay packets from the bigger houses would be weighty, I’d love to see some Australian designers such as Christopher Esber, Rachel Gilbert or Khya.

The fashion events you missed and what to do instead

Wings Independent Fashion Festival kicked off yesterday, with events running until 27 May. Conceived by Aliv Chung and Dan Neeson, the festival is probably best described as a multi-channel event championing emerging designers with a Dark-Mofo-adjacent experiential approach.

Chung and Neeson have selected a cohort of designers to present their debut collections in a week-to-week creative residency at the Metro Theatre. This year, labels Speed, A-D atelier, Baaqiy, Lanterna, Pigsuit, Reseau and Shiyo will stage one-day shows at the venue, pairing two designers alongside live music, performance, art and a secret headline act announced on the night.

Tabi Diaries’ favourite, Lee Mathews is hosting the Lee Mathews Fête — a warehouse sale alongside friends of the brand Bondi Born, BAINA, In Bed and Mud Australia at 13 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy in Melbourne from 8 to 10 May.

Another house favourite, St Agni, is hosting its first-ever archive sale in Sydney, offering a rare opportunity to shop past collections at reduced prices. Taking place at 410 Oxford St, Paddington NSW 2021, the sale will be from Thursday 7 May to Sunday 10 May and feature a curated selection of ready-to-wear, footwear, and accessories from previous seasons.

Sydney’s original department store, Mark Foy’s, will be re-opening its doors as a digital-only boutique. The department store has said that it will be exclusively partnering with local and international brands and boutiques, promising that Celine, Jacquemus and Saint Laurent will be part of its offering. Launch date is yet to be announced, I’ll keep you updated by you can also follow along on their Instagram, @markfoysofficial, which promises that designer brands will be offered at “up to 70 per cent off.”

Your comprehensive guide to AFW26

Australian Fashion Week is the nation’s leading fashion event and provides a globally recognised stage for Australian designers to show their collections. It has been a launchpad for some of the country’s most successful labels, including Zimmermann, Christopher Esber and Alex Perry.

This year’s event will take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, which means the surrounding harbour precinct will become part of the experience. So if you haven’t bagged tickets to any events, Circular Quay and The Rocks will inevitably be filled with designers, editors and guests moving between shows, dinners and after-parties.

Who will be there

Each year the Australian glitterati descend on Australian Fashion Week, with hundreds of photos popping up on our feeds in front of the brick wall at Carriage Works. This year will look a little different given the event will take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art. However, all the usual suspects will be there, including Vogue Australia, Harper’s Bazaar AU, RUSSH, to Be, Standing Room Magazine and Fashion Journal. As well as all our favourite fashion figures such as Pip Edwards, Jacquie Alexander, Maxine Wylde, Laura De Wit, Jess Alizzi, Sopha Dopha, Nadia Bartel and more.

Designers

Independent shows

25 designers will be showing at individual presentations throughout the week, with Carla Zampatti, Hansen & Gretel, Mariam Seddiq and Iordanes Spyridon Gogos offering tickets to the public.

The remainder of the designers will be staging invite-only shows at various locations, both on and off-site. This year’s designers are Aje, Alix Higgins, BEARE PARK, Bianca Spender, BULUUY MIRRI, Christian Kimber, COMMAS, Courtney Zheng, ESSE, Farage, Karla Spetic, L’IDEE, Lee Mathews, Maticevski, NAGNATA, NGALI, Nicol & Ford, Van Ermel Scherer and Zero Meaning.

New Gen

New Gen is AFW’s emerging designer showcase featuring Alberta Bucciarelli, EDITION Alice Meurs x Sarrita King, Gloria Chol, KingKing Creative and Van Brussel and is, unfortunately, industry only.

The Frontier

Held in partnership with Create NSW, The Frontier presentation features a bunch of Aussie cult favourites alongside emerging designers. Brands this year include Haluminous, madre natura, Ouse, Paris Jade Burrows, Rose Guiffre and Suzaan Standar. This show is also, unfortunately, industry only.

Everything accessible to the public

Runway shows

Carla Zampatti

Taking place at the Park Hyatt Boardwalk, the Carla Zampatti show will feature the brand’s upcoming collection. Guests attending the show will receive a gift bag, including a limited edition Carla Zampatti piece. Front row tickets will set you back $417 (including booking fees), while second row tickets are priced at $313 – I note that there’s been a fair bit of discourse online that these prices are too high. If it is within your budget there are still over 150 tickets available online.

HANSEN & GRETEL

The HANSEN & GRETEL show will take place in Foundation Hall at the Museum of Contemporary Art and will showcase the upcoming collection. Front row tickets are $313 (including booking fees), while second row are $261.

Mariam Seddiq

The Mariam Seddiq show will also take place in Foundation Hall at the Museum of Contemporary Art and will showcase the upcoming collection. Front row tickets are $417 (including booking fees), second row tickets are priced at $313 and third row tickets are going for $261. The show also has a few “restricted view” tickets available for $209.

Iordanes Spyridon Gogos

Taking place in the Galleries at UNSW, Iordanes Spyridon Gogos will present their new collection. For front row tickets you’re looking at $261 (including booking fees) and $189 for second row tickets. Iordanes Spyridon Gogos is also offering standing room tickets for $53.

AFW The Edit Runways

Both Edit runways will feature a selection of pieces (all of which you can shop now) from AJE Studio, Anna Quan, Bec + Bridge, Bondi Born, Effie Kats, Friends with Frank, Henne, M.J. Bale, Romy, Silk Laundry and Two.One. Tickets are $293 (including booking fees) for front row and $230 for second row. The show will be the same across both the first and second presentations, they’ve just been split into two sittings due to capacity restrictions.

Talks

Australian Fashion and the Art of Going Global

I bet you didn’t know that Australian fashion exported $7.2 billion in 2021 – more than wine and beer combined. Panellists Nikki Campbell and Sophie Coote (Co-founders and Creative Directors of SIR.) and Steve Philpott (CEO, Bond-Eye Australia) will discuss breaking into new markets, where the real opportunities are and what Australian fashion has that the world wants more of. Tickets are $53 (incl. booking fee).

In conversation with Australian Designers: Nicole & Ford

Lilian and Katie-Louise Ford are the gender-nonconforming duo behind Nicol & Ford, the avant-garde, demi-couture Australian brand. Lilian is an art historian, whose day job is associate director of development, museums and cultural engagement at the University of Sydney. Her wife, Katie-Louise, is a fashion and costume designer. Katie and Lilian will speak to building genuine creative integrity, resisting the pressure to commercialise too quickly and staying true to a vision that is entirely your own. The talk will take place at the AFC Theatre at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Tickets are $105 (incl. booking fee).

In conversation with Australian Designers: Aje, Adrian Norris & Edwina Forest

Norris and Forest will speak to the realities of building and sustaining a brand of scale and influence. Offering advice on everything from establishing a design language to how to navigate periods of growth, change and global expansion. They will share the pivotal decisions, challenges and defining moments that have shaped Aje into what it is today. Tickets are $105 (incl. booking fee).

Fashion 2036: Rewriting the Future of Australian Fashion

This talk will explore the forces redefining the Australian fashion industry, from AI and digital platforms to changing spending habits and the expectations of a new generation of shoppers. Panellists are Emily Marshall (Director of Trade & Partner Marking APAC, Afterpay), Caroline Reznik (Designer & Founder, Caroline Reznik) and Zoltan Czaki (Co-founder, Magic Fit). Tickets are $53 (incl. booking fee).

Responsibility to Country: First Nation’s Fashion Leadership

Through lived experience and industry insight, Michel Maynard (Manager, Indigenous Fashion Projects) and Cissy Gore-Birch (Designer, LULUJARU) will examine how cultural responsibility translates into design, production and business. They will discuss what it takes to build the systems that support First Nations-led practice and invite the audience to consider their own role within this ecosystem. Tickets are $53 (incl. booking fee).

Designing the Future: Innovation & Industry Transformation

Panellists from UTS and RMIT will discuss what fashion research looks like in 2026 and how it supports a thriving Australian fashion sector. Speakers will discuss advances in materials, manufacturing and sustainability, and consider how research partnerships with industry, independent researchers and among universities, can accelerate innovation while addressing the industry’s most pressing challenges. Tickets are $53 (incl. booking fee).

Businesses Built to Last: Fashion’s Bottom Line

Led by a powerful panel consisting of Alex Schuman (CEO, Carla Zampatti), Rebecca Mansergh (CEO, Camilla) and Mariam Seddiq (Designer, Mariam Seddiq), this talk will explore the financial side of fashion. Moderated by Renuka Kimber (co-founder of Christian Kimber), topics of discussion are set to include: scaling without losing control, making disciplined investment decisions and navigating the financial realities that sit behind each collection. Tickets are $53 (incl. booking fee).

The Maker & the Machine: The Craft and Tech Behind Australia’s Manufacturing Future

This panel brings together three makers at the forefront of a new Australian manufacturing story. Together they’ll cover everything that brands need to know from how technology is making local production faster to what made-to-measure at scale really looks like. The panel will include Dan Tse (brand director, INJURY and co-founder, IN/EX) and Gary Bigeni (designer/director, Gary Bigeni). Tickets are $53 (incl. booking fee).

The Case for Circular: Fashion’s Most Important Business Conversation

A talk looking at what it really takes to keep clothes in circulation and sustainability more broadly in Australian fashion. Panelists are David Leslie (founder, Gali Swimwear), Gayle Burchell (Chief Commercial and Sustainability Officer, THE ICONIC) and Daniela Vlahovic (Marketing Manager, Suzanne Grae). Tickets are $53 (incl. booking fee).

Events

Vogue Vintage Market

A one-day market for pre-loved, archival and vintage designer pieces offering rare finds courtesy of friends of Vogue Australia, Australian designers and eBay. Die-hard Vogue fans may already know that an equivalent Vogue vintage market took place in both London and New York for Vogue and Vogue UK. Spread across two sessions, the event will offer the opportunity to “shop with a mix of Friends of Vogue, Australian designers and more.” Tickets to both sessions are, unfortunately, already sold out!

Shark Glam Masterclass

Celebrity hairdresser, Joey Scandizzo, and former Miss Universe Australia, Maria Thattil, will be sharing their expertise on how to achieve “refined, runway-ready results.” Attendees will also take home a Shark Beauty gift bag. Tickets are $33 (incl. booking fee).

Style-ish: Live on the Lawn

Shameless Media’s Style-ish podcast will be doing a live recording with hosts Anika Joshi-Smith and Naima Fatema to “discuss all things fashion.” Guests for the podcast episode are yet to be announced, so watch this space. This event is free!

Meet the Makers

A curated matchmaking event bringing together Australian fashion brands and local manufacturers at Canvas Restaurant at the Museum of Contemporary Art. If that is relevant to you, you can find all the details here.

AFW Fashion Pass

Not an event per say, however, this year punters can register for a Fashion Pass, which will give you access to registration to join the AFW community, an invitation to the official Welcome to Country opening ceremony, access to the live stream viewing area to watch all on-site runway shows, a free coffee from St.Ali, some free deodorant from NIVEA so you don’t stink and early access to purchase tickets for selected runway shows and talks. Register here if that sounds like something you’re interested in

After-parties

Kahe

Melbourne-based label is headed for Sydney for a runway/after-party hybrid. Taking over Room 22, Kahe will show its latest collection before rolling into an after-party that’ll kick on until 3AM. Presale admission tickets are available online until April 27, with general admission and door tickets also available up until the night of the event. For those attending with friends, booth bookings include runway seating and a gift bag. To purchase your ticket for the runway, head here.

DORÉ BY Paris Jade Burrows

Paris Jade Burrows is presenting a couture presentation titled Doré, a collection of avant-garde, gothic garments reimagining the haunting theatricality of Gustave Dore’s imagery through textile and scenographic design. Doré couture presentation. Tickets come with entry to the after-party, which is sure to be hedonistic chaos. Tickets also come with a content warning for “nudity, gore, simulated violence, depictions of religion and themes of suicide, death and war.” Get all that for the price of $40.

THE TABI DIARIES | COMPREHENSIVE SCHEDULE TO AFW26

Monday 11 May

11:00AM: Official 2026 opening and welcome to country [Event]

12:00PM: Buluuy Mirrii [Runway]

12:30PM: Van Ermel Scherer [Runway]

2:00PM: Maticevski [Runway]

4:00PM: Beare Park [Runway]

6:00PM: Carla Zampatti [Runway] (industry only)

7:30PM: Carla Zampatti [Runway] (consumer access)

Tuesday 12 May

8:00AM: COMMAS [Runway]

10:00AM: The Frontier presentation [Runway]

10:00AM: AFW Talk - Fashion 2036: Rewriting the Future of Australian Fashion [Event]

12:00PM: Bianca Spender [Runway]

1:00PM: AFW Talk - Responsibility to Country: First Nation’s Fashion Leadership [Event]

2:00PM: Courtney Zheng [Runway]

3:00PM: Aje [Runway]

3:00PM: AFW Talk - Designing the Future: Innovation & Industry Transformation [Event]

6:00PM: Hansen & Gretel [Runway] (industry only)

7:00PM: Hansen & Gretel [Runway] (consumer access)

8:00PM: Alix Higgins [Runway]

Wednesday 13 May

9:00AM: ESSE [Runway]

10:00AM: Nagnata [Runway]

10:00AM: AFW Talk - Australian Fashion and the Art of Going Global [Event]

11:00AM: Farage [Runway]

12:00PM: Airwallex Lunch [Event]

2:00PM: FDS Tafe NSW - The Innovators presentation [Runway]

5:00PM: Karla Spetic [Runway]

5:00PM: Shameless Media, Style-ish podcast live recording on the lawn [Event]

7:00PM: Mariam Seddiq [Runway] (industry only)

8:00PM: Mariam Seddiq [Runway] (consumer access)

9:00PM: Zero Meaning [Runway]/[Event]

Thursday 14 May

9:00AM: Christian Kimber [Runway]

10:00AM: Shark Glam Masterclass [Event]

11:00AM: Iordanes Spyridon Gogos [Runway] (industry only)

12:00PM: Iordanes Spyridon Gogos [Runway] (consumer access)

1:00PM: AFW Talk - Business Build to Last: Fashion’s Bottom Line [Event]

2:00PM: New Generation showcase [Runway]

3:00PM: Lee Mathews [Runway]

3:00PM: AFW Talk - The Maker & the Machine: The Craft and Tech Behind Australia’s Manufacturing Future [Event]

5:00PM: Nicol & Ford [Runway]

5:00PM: AFW Talk - Meet the Makers [Event]

6:00PM: AFW The Edit Runway 1 [Runway] (industry only)

7:00PM: AFW The Edit Runway 2 [Runway] (consumer access)

8:00PM: L’IDEE Woman [Runway]

Friday 15 May

9:00AM: Gary Bigeni [Runway]

10:00AM: AFW Talk - The Case for Circular: Fashion’s Most Important Business Conversation [Event]

11:00AM: Vogue Vintage Market [Event]

1:00PM: Ngali [Runway]

8:00PM: Kahe Runway and afterparty [Event]

-CCW

If you love (or hate) this newsletter, be sure to capitalise on your chance to speak your mind in the survey — it’s only three questions (and they’re all multiple choice)!

Fill it out before 2 May and I’ll flick one lucky punter a $100 Net-a-Porter voucher. Only 15 people have responded (a 1.3% response rate, which is humbling) — so you have a decent chance of winning if you respond!

$100 Net-a-Porter voucher survey HERE

Until next time.

P.S A couple of readers have responded to the survey saying they don’t like these news reports (fair). Don’t forget, you can unsubscribe from just the Wednesday newsletter (just click the unsubscribe button and de-select receiving the Australian Fashion News report).

Fashion, briefly

The Australian Fashion Week 2026 schedule has finally arrived. This year’s program features a noticeable increase in the number of publicly accessible events, with brands such as Carla Zampatti and Hansen & Gretel offering ticketed consumer shows ahead of their industry-only presentations.

The calendar has also expanded to include more designers, among them is Lee Mathews and BEARE PARK. Having just devoured Jonah Waterhouse’s review of Lee Mathews’ Pre-Fall 2026 collection on Vogue.com, I’m particularly excited to see what is coming next for the brand.

Dolce & Gabbana have found themselves in hot water after a punter lodged a complaint with Australia’s Advertising Regulator, Ad Standards. The complaint alleged the brand’s latest campaign “glorified threesomes” and therefore breached section 2.4 of the AANA Code of Ethics, which states that advertising must treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience. The campaign in question featured Madonna alongside two Italian Stallion types.

The Panel reviewed the campaign and noted that, while some members of the community may not condone such “open displays of intimacy or a suggestion that one person can have more than one partner,” the content did not breach prevailing community standards. Ultimately, the Panel deemed the ad “sufficiently brief and mild in content.”

The Dolce & Gabbana campaign reported to the Australian Advertising Regulator

I’ll admit, I found the whole affair rather funny – particularly given Dolce & Gabbana didn’t bother responding. And frankly, good for Madonna, those two guys were hot.

Meghan Markle is still on Australian shores and is continuing to serve up a polished platter of looks. This week sees Markle adding Scanlan Theodore, Matteau, Rollas, Freda Salvador and Friends with Frank to her Australian designer rolodex.

Personally, I would have also liked to see her in some A.EMERY, Harris Tapper, or Viktoria & Woods. See below for each of her four new looks (most of them are still in stock)!

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating several retailers for making “potentially misleading claims” to shoppers during last year’s Black Friday sales. ACCC Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe, says the ACCC is concerned that retailers appear to be relying on tactics that manipulate consumers by creating a false sense of urgency that they will miss out on a discount if they don’t buy the product now.

The investigation comes after the ACCC conducted a “sweep” during the sales to uncover any misleading or deceptive advertising by retailers. In the press release, the ACCC announced that half of the 50 retailers reviewed used “concerning” tactics in their advertising. Fingers crossed I didn’t fall victim (though it’s highly likely I did).

Glamour magazine is headed to Australia

In a year where magazines seem to be shutting their doors on the daily (RIP The Face, Self, Cosmopolitan Australia and Teen Vogue), there was a rare burst of good news the week when News Corp Australia announced it would be bringing Glamour to local shores.

Owned by Condé Nast, Glamour is the 85 year old title known for its blend of fashion, beauty, wellness, pop culture, parenting and politics. News Corp Australia has a long standing relationship with Condé, as the licensee of Vogue Australia, Vogue Living and GQ Australia under its Prestige portfolio.

Glamour Australia will be a digital-only publication, with a strong emphasis on social and video content. Targeting Gen Z and Millennial audiences, News Corp says the title will deliver “authentic, accessible and highly shareable content” across platforms where “audiences already are” – namely social, video and mobile, as well a dedicated digital home.

In a LinkedIn post announcing the partnership, former Vogue Australia editor-in-chief and current Editorial Director of the Prestige portfolio, Edwina McCann, said the publication “is for today’s young Australians who move at the pace of social and expect insider content first.”

MYER has signed on as the exclusive beauty partner in a multi-year deal with News Corp, The partnership follows the retailer’s recent expansion of its beauty category, with 22 new brands joining its portfolio.

As Nicholas Gray, Managing Director and Publisher of The Australian and Prestige, put it, “in a landscape where some say you’d be mad to launch a new lifestyle brand, we’re unapologetically bold.”

Glamour Australia will launch across social channels from mid-2026, with its full digital offering arriving later in the year.

What dropped this week

I’ve either been kicked off of a few PR lists or there genuinely wasn’t much happening in the new arrivals space this week because the usual avalanche of announcements was noticeably absent from my inbox.

That said, Birkenstock has teamed up with Australian brand, Song for the Mute on a collaboration for the iconic Birkenstock 1774. The collection leans into Birkenstock’s heritage of function and durability, paired with Song for the Mute’s instinct for texture, fabric play and form. The Paris Rebel Black Cow Fur style is delightfully hedonistic, while the Amsterdam Collector in Black is sleek and brilliant.

For those based in Sydney – or those simply in need of an excuse for a holiday – the Sydney Film Festival has dropped a new program showcasing both the glossy highlights and underbelly of the fashion world. Titled “SARTORIAL: Fashion on Film,” the program will run from 3 to 14 June and feature Sofia Coppola’s Marc by Sofia, Notebook on Cities and Clothes (a reflection on the work of Yohji Yamamoto), Jane B. par Agnès V. (an exploration on the life and image of Jane Birkin) and much more.

St Agni has also released some new footwear, all of it highly desirable. Meanwhile, Lesser Store has welcomed some new Róhe Frames arrivals, all as polished and effortless as you’d expect (if you’re unfamiliar with neither the store, nor the brand, I would highly suggest you check them both out).

-CCW

Fashion, briefly

Meghan Markle has hit Australian shores and is, naturally, dripping in Australian brands. Say what you want about the woman, there’s no denying she has good taste. So far we’ve seen her in a navy Priscilla Dress from Karen Gee, with the divine Puffy Heart Earrings from Real Fine Studio (I did a bit of digging and found a more affordable option from Roxanne Assoulin). For her second look, we saw her wear the Suede Utility Bomber and Suede Column Skirt from friend of The Tabi Diaries, St Agni (I actually bought the skirt she was wearing at their Armadale store last week – not saying she copied me, BUT it’s possible), the chic, Caroline Bessette Kennedy looking sleeveless turtleneck underneath was, of course, from P. Johnson.

The concept store, WeWear Australian, has opened a flagship store in SoHo, New York and a new e-commerce platform, WeWearAustralian.com. The store offers a curated collection of up to 35 Australian brands including ESSE Studios, Hansen & Gretel, Bared Footwear, Atoir, Viktoria and Woods, Kate and Kole, Bondi Born and more.

The space is decorated with artwork by local Australian artists, alongside interiors by some of the best in the biz: Ellison Studios and Antico Home. I flicked through the website and found myself adding several of their pieces to my wish list (namely the Viktoria & Woods Cobain Jean and Lee Mathews’ Maggie SS Top and Emilie Blouse).

In shocking news, HUGO BOSS is the new brand partner for the Australian Open. The partnership will see BOSS outfit staff, officials and merchandise for patrons both on and off the court.

CEO of HUGO BOSS Daniel Grieder told the press: “This collaboration is a natural fit for us, as it brings together two brands that share the same commitment to excellence, innovation, and creating extraordinary experiences. Tennis is part of BOSS’s DNA. The partnership therefore marks an important step in our strategy to further drive the brand’s positioning at the intersection of sport, lifestyle, and global fan engagement.”

BOSS will replace longtime outfitter of the Australian Open, Ralph Lauren, who held the top position for six years. The Business of Fashion ran a story on the takeover, noting “Ralph Lauren has been the standard bearer for fashion in tennis for decades. So it’s genuinely shocking that the company just lost its Australian Open sponsorship.

Closures, closures and more closures

This week, New Zealand brand Wynn Hamlyn announced it will close after 12 years in business following a raft of challenges including a year of unpredictable Trump administration tariffs, a reduction in consumer spending and the collapse of the brand’s most significant wholesalers, Ssense and Neiman Marcus (a subsidiary of Saks Global).

For the unfamiliar, Wynn Hamlyn is an ultra-chic brand known for its production of well-structured clothes that don’t sacrifice utility. In Australia, it is stocked by Incu and The Iconic, with fans of the brand including Michelle Obama, Rita Ora and myself (the last of which is, perhaps, less impressive).

The brand was founded by 36-year-old Auckland designer Wynn Crawshaw. In a story published on Monday, Crawshaw told the Australian Financial Review that Neiman Marcus owes Wynn Hamlyn AUD$142,000. Crawshaw also spoke to the significant flaws in the wholesale model: “It’s not sustainable for a fashion company to have to wait 90 days after delivering a product – at a minimum – to be paid. I have my own suppliers to pay,” he said.

Melbourne jewellery label Aletheia and Phos also announced their closure after 13 years of trading. Founder and designer, Lissy Millan, told Fashion Journal she is simply ready for something different. For anyone wanting to revel in the last of Millan’s designs, you have until 31 May to shop what is remains of her collections online.

Australian label Willow also announced its closure this week, and this time, it’s for good. Perhaps best known for its tailoring and neutral colour story, the brand once counted celebrities such as Miranda Kerr and Jessica Gomes as fans.

Founded in 2003 by Kit Willow, the brand is owned by parent company Unique Retailing, who also manages brands such as Vince and Theory. A spokesperson from Unique Retailing told RagTrader that they had made the decision that their “time and resources were best directed toward other brands and divisions across the Group.”

Willow has discounted nearly everything on its website, with some items reduced by over 80 per cent of what they originally were.

What dropped this week

In the week that they announced their closure, Wynn Hamlyn also launched their SS26 collection, which will be the final collection for the brand. Oroton launched its “Art of the Scarf” series in collaboration with artist Clara Adolphs, whose expressive works have been transformed into silk scarf form.

MEJURI, the global fine jewellery brand, reunites with Australian design studio Ellison Studios to introduce the Shoal 2.0 collection, the second chapter in their ongoing collaboration. Following the success of the sell out original release, Shoal sees a focus on material purity and process. The piece functions as both a jewellery catchall and incense holder. The press release explained, “its presence is intentionally understated, designed to sit effortlessly within a space while inviting small, grounding rituals.”

-CCW

Self indulgence aside, a lot happened this week as per usual. Most notably, the list of designers showing at Australian Fashion Week 2026 was released. Very excited to hopefully catch up with many of you there.

Until next time.

Fashion, briefly

Witchery has launched its annual white shirt campaign in support of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, with this year’s shirts designed by St Agni’s Lara Fells. The creative partnership with Fells is quite sweet, before founding St Agni she was the store manager at Witchery’s Byron Bay boutique. The initiative offers three designs: a cinchable white shirt, a long-line shirt and the campaign’s first ever halter neck shirt.

On Thursday the Australian Retail Council stated that six in ten Australian retailers reported reducing staff numbers due to the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East. Chief Executive Officer Chris Rodwell, said the Federal Treasurer’s announcement that the Australian Tax Office will provide temporary relief to small businesses impacted by the war will give fashion retailers “some relief.”

There was a bit of action in Court this week when Sabo, formerly known as Sabo Skirt (when did that rebrand even happen?), sued Kmart, Shein, The Bronze Snake Shop and 13 other brands for allegedly ripping off its designs. The lawsuit was filed in the Federal Court of Australia and alleges infringement of intellectual property through the widespread duplication of its work. Specifically, Sabo claims its designs, patterns, prints and trademarks were replicated by the businesses in lower quality and at cheaper prices, reducing their sales and damaging its reputation. The defendants’ respective defences are due to be filed on 5 May and the parties are due back before the Court on 7 July. Watch this space.

On Friday, The Australian reported that David Jones is in negotiations to refinance approximately $150 million in debt in a bid to stabilise finances. Reports say the department store is delayed in paying suppliers. However, a spokesperson for David Jones told Ragtrader that the store is currently in the midst of a transformation and is streamlining its operational and financial processes to build a stronger, more sustainable business model, which includes “a new supplier payment process.” Whatever the case, the reports are concerning given David Jones’ challenges come at a time when multi-brand retail stores seem to be dropping like flies – see Saks filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, Ssense also filed late last year. Fingers crossed it’s just a bout of choppy waters.

Australian Fashion Week 2026 Designers Announced

The Australian Fashion Council has released the list of designers that will be showing at Australian Fashion Week 2026. The list features 24 designers and includes Aje, Bianca Spender, Carla Zampatti, Courtney Zheng, ESSE and much, much more.

Australian Fashion Week is the nation’s leading fashion event and provides a globally recognised stage for Australian designers to show their collections. It has been a launchpad for some of the country’s most successful labels, including Zimmermann, Christopher Esber and Alex Perry.

Prior to last year’s event, IMG, the media company that previously owned and operated Australian Fashion Week, announced it would no longer be backing the event. The departure of IMG saw Australian Fashion Week placed into temporary limbo as the search for new management commenced. However, the Australian Fashion Council eventually stepped up to assume management.

This year’s event is sponsored by Shark Beauty, which is one of a number of changes we’ve seen made to this year’s event. For the last 13 years Australian Fashion Week took place at Carriageworks in central Sydney, however, this year the event will take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art, located on the harbour foreshore of Sydney’s Rocks precinct.

What will never change, however, is the week’s May timing, which coincides with the resort season on the global fashion schedule, where shows will be taking place in the northern hemisphere concurrently.

I will, of course, report back with the event’s schedule and salacious details. For anyone that will also be on the ground - let’s grab a martini.

Out and About

There were about 100 store openings across Australia this past fortnight. In Melbourne we saw the opening of a fourth SWOP store (fitting, as the state loves a thrift), SIX SIX (a luxury optometrist, which arguably now offers the best range of specs on the market) and Harli + Harpa’s 57th (!!) store. In Sydney, Gentle Monster reopened in David Jones with their notorious, and slightly terrifying, kinetic head installation (these sculptures are developed in house by the “Gentle Monster robotics lab” as a reflection of the brand’s study of the inner workings of the human mind).

For every store opening, there was also a collaboration announcement. ALEMAIS x Le Specs dropped a second collection of limited-edition eyewear, Sydney-born Song for the Mute launched a new performance wear collaboration with Adidas and the Veuve Clicquot x Jacquemus’ collaboration is set to hit shores this month - with the iconic Sydney restaurant, Mimi’s, offering guests a cuvée tasting experience of the luxury tipple for Mother’s Day celebrations.

Outside of collaborations, on Thursday I went to Waxflower in Melbourne to celebrate the launch of Dr Martens’ new Lowell collection, where we all got given a pair of shoes (slay). Nude Lucy also launched a homewares edit, Nude Home, which is a natural extension of the brand’s relaxed, yet refined, aesthetic.

-CCW

Fashion, briefly

Perhaps the biggest story of the week was Chanel’s campaign for the 25 bag featuring Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie. The campaign sees Robbie recreate Minogue’s “Come Into My Word” music video in a way that’s simultaneously nostalgic and fresh.

Zimmermann has appointed a new Chief Executive Offer to replace Chris Olliver, the long-standing CEO and husband of co-founder Nicky Zimmermann. The new Chief Executive, Roberto Eggs (yes, that is his real name), joins the company from Moncler Group and is set commence in the position on 1 May.

It must’ve been the week of CEO shake ups, as Shona Joy’s Danielle Haddrick also stepped down from her role. Haddrick’s replacement, however, is yet to be announced.

Aje has opened a new retail concept store in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre. The idea behind the space is to capture the essence of an art collector’s apartment. The store has been designed through a Milanese lens, featuring herringbone travertine flooring and a curated splay of artwork. Vintage furniture and ceramics by Chanel Tobler and Sophie Nolan make the space feel vaguely reminiscent of The Row’s stores. Aje’s Chadstone outpost is its third boutique to adopt the brand’s new approach to retail stores.

Rosie Huntington-Whitely is the April cover star of Vogue Australia. The cover comes after Huntington-Whitely was on a panel at Vogue’s Forces of Fashion, which was held at the Sydney Opera House on 13 February.

Shot in the penthouse suite in Sydney’s Crown Residence, the shoot sees Huntington-Whitely sprawled across an olive green, velvet sofa, framed by two Australian icons. The photographs are stunning and quintessentially Australian. There’s always something special about a cover that shows the city in which it’s based.

Gap gives Australia another crack as part of a reinvigorated Myer

American brand Gap is making yet another attempt to launch in Australia, but this time it will call Myer home. The last time we saw Gap onshore was eight years ago when the brand closed its stores and online offering down under.

“Australia is an important market for Gap as we continue to expand our international franchise business,” explains Facundo Ginobili, Senior Vice President of International Commerce at Gap Inc.

Gap is one of several new brands to join Myer as it works to refresh its brand portfolio in a bid to attract new, younger customers. Belinda Slifkas, Chief Merchandise Officer, told Ragtrader “[Myer’s] well underway in refreshing its brand portfolio to attract new customers, especially younger Australians seeking fashion that feels contemporary and trend-forward. Gap aligns perfectly with this direction.”

Regardless of whether Slifkas’ characterisation of Gap is accurate, the future success of the department store certainly isn’t riding on Gap alone.

Myer Holdings Limited released its half yearly financial results yesterday, reporting a 24.5 per cent lift in its total sales to $2.27 billion. This announcement comes after Myer’s acquisition of a suite of apparel brands from Premier Investments, including Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Jacqui E, Dotti and Portmans. The results are also, in part, a result of a resetting of Myer’s beauty offerings, with the store’s beauty department adding an additional 30 brands over the course of this financial year, with another 20 more to come in the second half of FY26.

Gap will rollout across selected Myer stores on 9 April, with an online store to follow later this year.

A bit on for Australian designers in the art world

Sabine Marcelis, the Dutch-New Zealand product designer best known for her coloured poufs, has been commissioned to design fixtures for the upcoming Winter Masterpieces exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

Opening in June, the exhibition will feature over 300 jewels, gemstones and artefacts from Cartier, with Marcelis set to design the mounts on which they’ll shine. No stranger to a high fashion collaboration, Marcelis’ career kicked off after she was commissioned to make the display plinths for Celine stores back in 2014.

Camilla, the ubiquitous Australian kaftan label beloved by many a mum on the shores of Noosa, is headed to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. In collaboration with the museum, designer Camilla Franks and her Sydney-based team have designed six prints to be used across a range of exclusive products inspired by the museum’s collections. It’s a big deal, considering this is the first time an Australian brand has collaborated with the Met.

For those unable to make it to New York, a 68-piece collection resulting from the collaboration will be available in Australian stores from 8 April.

-CCW

This week, Katy Perry losses in the Australian High Court, Nicole Kidman’s daughter ascends in the modelling world and my invitation to yet another Melbourne fashion event gets lost in the mail.

I’ll be back on Sunday with an unhinged long form.

Until then.

Fashion, briefly

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban, is ELLE Australia’s March cover star. Perhaps you remember her from her debut on Miu Miu’s spring/summer 2025 runway, or perhaps you don’t. What you may remember though, is the uprising it caused (slurs like “nepo-baby” were coming out the wazoo).

However, modelling, at least it seems, is incidental. In conversation with Jessica Bailey, she told the magazine she’d rather work in film. Shot by Hannah Scott-Stevenson, the shoot unfolded inside a vaguely suburban, distinctly 1970s home. The images have a kind of domestic eeriness. I like them, especially because she’s mostly styled in the new Jonathan Anderson for Dior.

One shot sees her perched on a bed topped with one of those itchy, checkered wool blankets that seem to exist in every Australian home without ever being bought. No one knows where they came from, no one necessarily wants to.

As you would well know (if not from the news, then likely from the price of petrol), there’s a war going on in Iran.

Much of the reporting has fixated on oil prices going through the roof. Understandably, less reporting has been done on the war’s impact on Australia’s fashion and textile industry.

At the centre of the issue lies the crucial Suez Canal, a narrow, overburdened passageway that has long functioned as an artery for maritime transport. Under usual conditions, goods travelling from Australia to Europe pass through the Red Sea corridor, including the Suez Canal, in roughly a month.

Albeit, many Australian exporters are now having to transport their goods via the Cape of Good Hope, a route which snakes under Africa and up through the Mediterranean. In theory, it’s the safer option. In practice, it takes several weeks longer and is significantly more expensive.

Many Australian ships attempting to pass through the Suez Canal are currently being held in maritime limbo, or “shelter”, as transit through the Red Sea becomes increasingly untenable. Endeavour Wool Exports, the family owned farming business that supplys merino to the likes of Loro Piana, currently have ships stuck in shelter.

Endeavour’s founder, Josh Lamb, told ABC News that shipping delays are beginning to interfere with cash flow with payments, like the shipments themselves, arriving late.

On Wednesday, the High Court of Australia handed down its decision in Taylor v Killer Queen LLC [2026] HCA 5, otherwise known as the long-running dispute between Katy Perry (of California Gurls ft. Snoop Dog) and Katie Perry (Australian fashion designer). I’ll refer to them as “Singer Katy” and “Fashion Katie.”

I’ll admit, I’m not familiar with Fashion Katie’s work. Still, the case offers a rare example of a small Australian label holding its ground against a global behemoth.

At a high level, in 2008 Fashion Katie registered the trademark “Katie Perry” on the Australian trademark register. A year later, Singer Katy attempted to do the same with “Katy Perry”. What followed was a slow, procedural endurance test.

Singer Katy filed an application for Fashion Katie’s trademark to be de-registered, on the basis that Singer Katy’s reputation in Australia pre-dated that of Fashion Katie’s and, therefore, Fashion Katie’s trademark would likely deceive, or cause confusion for, Australians coming into contact with the brand. The fight lasted almost 17 years.

In a majority decision, the High Court found that Fashion Katie’s mark was unlikely to harm Singer Katy’s reputation, nor was it likely to cause confusion – helped, in no small part, by the fact that Singer Katie’s trademark did not extend to clothing.

So what does this mean, practically speaking? Fashion Katie’s trademark remains on the Australian trademark register. Good for you, Fashion Katie.

Lululemon copped a $702,900 penalty from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for sending over 370,000 emails containing commercial content without the option for recipients to unsubscribe. The breaches centred on emails that ostensibly provided shipping updates, but tacked on sales and marketing material at the end.

Under clause 9 of the Spam Act 2003 (Cth), all marketing communications must give recipients a clear, easy option to opt out. Lululemon’s failure to do so has turned what might have been some routine email marketing into a costly oversight.

Bringing fashion manufacturing back to Australia

Currently, 97 per cent of Australia’s clothing and textile production occurs offshore. However, last Thursday the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) unveiled a new, industry-backed strategy to revive Australian manufacturing capabilities across textiles, apparel and footwear in a bid to bring fashion manufacturing back home.

Developed in collaboration with R.M. Williams, the ten year plan aims to establish a “premium sector” capable of competing with its international counterparts. Independent research conducted by RMIT University estimates the initiative could create 1,000 new jobs and $864 million in wages over a decade.

Marianne Perkovic, executive chair of the AFC, told Vogue Australia that a key part of the plan will be ensuring the full life-cycle of manufacturing stays within Australia.

“We produce some of the finest natural fibre on the planet in our wool and cotton. And for decades, we’ve been sending most of it offshore raw and buying it back finished,” she explains. “If we can reestablish the ‘missing middle’, Australia will be able to compete globally on provenance, sustainability, quality and traceable advanced manufacturing.”

What you missed out on and what to do instead

Last Saturday, Vogue Australia held an International Women’s Day luncheon in collaboration with Meshki. The event was held at Meshki co-founder Nartalie Khoei’s house in Toorak, Melbourne and was attended by fashion industry professionals, Bianca Bustamante and many a Melbourne influencer. Perhaps my invite got lost in the mail? Welp.

For anyone in Melbourne this weekend, the National Trust of Victoria is hosting its 70th annual Vintage Clothing & Collectables sale. In an event that has been promised to be the best yet, you can expect to find vintage, designer women’s and men’s clothing, alongside fabrics, linen and soft furnishings, as well as a range of collectables and homewares. Held at Abbotsford convent, entry is by gold coin donation, with all proceeds supporting the National Trust’s work conserving Victoria’s heritage.

If estate sales aren’t your thing, Afterpay Day is beginning to feel like a proper calendar fixture, with retailers such as David Jones and The Iconic jumping on board.

-CCW

Australian labels are gaining serious popularity overseas, and the industry’s momentum is only becoming more compelling. I’m confident that, in time, Australian Fashion Week will grow into something approaching Copenhagen’s stature – perhaps even surpass it. The only real obstacle is geography.

Looking back at the week that was, it initially seemed like everything happened at once in Australian fashion. But, after combing through the archives, it became clear that a surprising amount of stuff happens in Australian fashion every week. This is, after all, the country that produced Zimmermann, Christopher Esber, Camilla & Marc and Dion Lee.

The real question, of course, is whether anyone is paying attention yet. If you’re not, you probably should be. Now is precisely the moment to dial in as some of Australia’s biggest brands expand their global footprints.

Perhaps we should make this a weekly thing.

Until next time.

Fashion, briefly

This week, unicorn Zimmermann presented its Fall 2026 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week. In the front row was Oprah Winfrey, Jessica Chastain and Naomi Watts – not a bad roster for a homegrown brand.

Backstage, founder Nicky Zimmermann told the scrum she wanted to channel the trailblazing spirit of Australian women in the 1920s. The mood board for the collection featured an array of Australian female pioneers, alongside a photograph of a women’s cricket team standing arm in arm.

Nearly a century later, Zimmermann delivered a collection that nodded to those heroines while remaining firmly within the house’s signature vocabulary of bohemian romanticism. The opening look – a dress resembling silk scarves knotted across the body – featured illustrations of cockatoos and antique maps of Australia. When questioned on the illustrations, Nicky laughed, “we can’t help ourselves.”

An intrepid spirit pulsated through the entire collection. Highlights included Zimmermann’s take on cricket whites – an oversized cable-knit sweater with a deep v-neck and complementary balloon pants, styled beneath a sumptuous black fur coat. Fur played a big part in the collection (as it did in so many this season), appearing alongside fringing, plenty of ruffled layers and the brand’s signature whimsical lace.

On Thursday, the Australian Workplace Gender Equality Agency released its latest gender pay gap report. The data revealed the average pay gap across the sector has narrowed by 1.2 per cent to 10.5 per cent in favour of men in the 2024-25 reporting period.

The finer details, however, are less flattering.

Women’s fast fashion and mid-market apparel retailers have some of the largest gender pay gaps in the country. Australian brand Forever New is one of the worst offenders, with a 51.1 per cent pay gap in favour of men (despite women making up 96 per cent of Forever New’s workforce). If you’re not following, that means the typical male employee at Forever New earns 51.1 per cent more than his female counterpart.

Jewellery behemoth Pandora wasn’t far behind, reporting a 40 per cent gender pay gap in favour of men.

Outside of the boardroom, Formula 1’s annual Glamour on the Grid returned to Melbourne on Saturday night with a noticeably leaner guest list.

Reportedly, Travis Auld, the newly-appointed CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, cut roughly 300 names from the guest list in an attempt to restore a sense of exclusivity to the event. Word on the street is that the thinking behind the ozempified list was fewer influencers and more VIPs.

Whether the reset worked depends on who you asked. Among those still on the guest list were the three hosts of Shameless Media’s “fashion, brand, business and beauty” podcast, Style-ish, which found itself in hot water this week.

Style-ish v Tamsin

You may be blissfully unaware of the transhemispheric spat unfolding over in the podcast world. For the unenlightened, here’s a quick recap.

Last Wednesday, Style-ish dropped a new episode in which hosts, Maddison Sullivan-Thorpe, Anika Joshi-Smith and Joanna Fleming, weighed in on TikTok creator Tamsin Wong’s video on taste.

At a high level, Wong’s thesis was fairly straightforward: good taste isn’t cultivated by the algorithm, it’s cultivated by drawing inspiration from art and culture around you – specifically, galleries, books, theatre and what not.

The Style-ish hosts had the following thoughts:

“Fucking hell this was pretentious... this is the biggest first world problem I’ve ever heard in my life… go touch some grass” and “we’re allowed to get our inspiration from anywhere, at the moment I’m getting inspiration from walking through other people’s houses hoping that I can potentially buy it.” - Joanna Fleming

“[To Tamsin] Go take your shoes off sweetie and go stand in nature” - Annika Joshi-Smith

Snippets of the episode were uploaded to Style-ish’s socials. The reaction was swift and unsparing. Punters were quick to call the hosts out for everything from rank hypocrisy to blatant cruelty, labelling the segment as aggressive and lacking nuance. In short: there was a lot of “this ain’t it” and “mean girl behaviour”.

Style-ish quickly pulled the clip from TikTok. However, a trimmed clip remains live on Instagram which has a comment section that, at the time of writing, includes the following:

“This is a really weird and tbh aggressive take on a valid and honestly, mild observation. Perhaps take a step back and see why this has you so bothered because you’ve all missed Tamsin’s point.” - @casszglr

“... This was very mean-spirited and not only giving mean girl, but also just refusing to have a real and honest dialogue about a common topic in fashion. Super disappointed and think y’all have a lot of work to do.” - @catverypopular

“The segment on Tamsin was honestly trash... The criticism felt less like thoughtful discussion and more like mean-girl behaviour, which made the whole segment uncomfortable to listen to. It honestly came across as insecurity rather than fair commentary. Comments like [the above] were especially disgusting and completely unnecessary. If this is the tone the show is taking, it’s really disappointing. I hope the hosts take some time off air to reflect on the way they speak about people. I also hope this isn’t the kind of brand Shameless wants to represent.” - @wends.h

“Disappointing take from you guys, lacking nuance and honestly just bitchy. The touch grass comments are cliche and ironic from you guys when often what you discuss could be deemed as alarmingly trivial and ‘first-world’...” - @hannahhbg

Wong laughed it off on TikTok, describing the take as “unnecessarily aggressive,” particularly given her original video wasn’t directed at the hosts in the first place. She also made the pointed observation that, as the hosts of a fashion podcast, engaging with such topics with intellectual curiosity is ostensibly the hosts’ job.

She added that it was frustrating how three women publicly tore her to shreds simply because they disagreed with her take, especially when the topic was ripe for real discussion.

Shameless Media co-founders Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews joined the Style-ish hosts to record a new episode in response titled “Unpacking Your Feedback.” The gist of the episode was that the hosts stand by their opinion, but concede the tone in which their take was delivered may have missed the mark.

Naturally, Wong responded. In her response video, she included a screenshot of a DM received from founders McDonald and Andrews.

Wong didn’t get into the weeds on the statement. Instead, she suggested the response ultimately wasn’t for her and, rather, for Style-ish’s regular listeners. How those listeners choose to respond, she added, is entirely up to them.

Predictably, TikTok’s peanut gallery got involved. Creators were quick to add their two cents, including author Kate Forster, who offered some very measured takes on the whole affair.

Since the episode aired, a wave of 1 star reviews have hit Style-ish platforms, with a noticeable number of longtime listeners announcing they’ve unsubscribed in response to the episode.

Where Style-ish goes from here, only time will tell. Controversies such as these tend to have a short half-life, audiences will eventually move on – either with Style-ish or without.

What dropped this week

Style icon Lara Worthington has linked up with Witchery to release a capsule collection of what one could describe as “cool-girl staples.”

Naturally, I’ve already tried the entire collection on. For the most part, it’s nice. The trousers are well cut, the colour story is strong and the silhouettes are right for the moment. But what piqued my interest most were the jackets. Disappointingly, however, the PU was a lot glossier in person than expected and I left empty-handed.

The collaboration itself has been puzzling for some, with creators on TikTok saying that Witchery, despite a rebrand, operates in a fairly conservative, Mum-adjacent, mid-market lane. And that Worthington, meanwhile, sits a rung (or several) higher in terms of both market and aesthetics.

Speaking with the sales associate in store, she shared that the collection was produced in limited quantities with the intention of “selling out in two weeks”. Considering most pieces remain available in nearly all sizes, that may be ambitious.

Reigning Australian Substack queen and glossy veteran, , has released a curated edit with July. To be clear, Wong hasn’t designed the pieces, rather, she has put together a thoughtful edit of travel gear she considers both stylish and functional.

And stylish and functional they are. Highlights include what appears to be a cowhide handbag, as well as a backpack that, against everything the category typically stands for, is actually quite chic.

-CCW