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Twice a year, all eyes are on Fashion Month — a series of Fashion Weeks in the Northern Hemisphere from Paris to London, Milan, Copenhagen and New York — when the biggest fashion houses in the world showcase their biannual collections on the world stage.
But once a year, it’s Australia’s turn. For one week only, local Aussie designers descend on the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern, where the industrial backdrops are as iconic to Australian Fashion Week as the weekly Farmer’s Market is to the location itself.
As our friends at Refinery29 Australia report, Australian Fashion Week celebrates what the local industry does best, which often means a mix of classic tailoring with unexpected silhouettes. After all, it may be resort collections on show, but both emerging and heritage designers push the descriptor to the edge.
This year’s schedule featured plenty of designers whose shows we always look forward to, but it also included debuting brands and sustainable collections that had us talking. Keep on reading to find out the top trends that came out of Australian Fashion Week for 2024.
1. Crinkly Metallics
Textured metallic fabrics are having their moment this fashion week, both as the entire outfit and also in fun pops of crinkly “alfoil” textures to accompany pared-back tailoring.
At Rory William Docherty, a high-shine, multi-colored peplum skirt was sent down the runway, and a silver crinkle tie was spotted with a more businesscore look.
In a similar vein, Bec and Bridge channelled all-out glam, with the boxy, oversized shirt pictured above and an all-silver dress. Meanwhile, Acler paired flowing sheer skirts with textured slouchy gold knee-high boots.
2. Lightweight Maxi Coats
Lightweight maxi coats in various silhouettes have been popular on the AFW runways this year, with a floor-skimming tan trench from Viktoria & Woods kicking off the week, followed by a beige overcoat at Rory William Docherty. Albus Lumen showed a heavier, suede floor-length coat, and later in the week, at modest label Asiyam’s sophomore show, we saw billowing coats in silkier fabrics in a lush forest green shade and earthy brown.
3. Sheer Layering
Sheer layering has featured at many a show this year, including sheer skirts at Albus Lumen and sheer floor-length gowns at Beare Park. At P.E Nation, sheer stockings poked out from under the waistband of track pants, and worn underneath briefs.
This feels like a graduation from the pantless trend of 2023, or perhaps just an autumnal take on the trend. Briefs over sheer tights also showed up in the street style looks at Australian Fashion Week.
4. Mixed Texture Jeans
The next pair of trending jeans may barely be jeans at all if Bec & Bridge and Verner’s resort collections are any indication. At Bec & Bridge, black jeans had a vague air of Western chaps, with the front and back panels replaced with glittering sparkles. Meanwhile, at Verner, jeans were made more coastal with low-rise denim featuring a distressed wash to the knee, leading into a striped board shorts-like material.
5. Stockings (But Especially Stocking Socks)
The sheer trend extends beyond billowing skirts and shirts at AFW, with more than a few runways featuring sheer stockings — and specifically, stocking socks.
On Day One at Rory William Docherty, black sheer socks were paired with drapey tailoring and brogues, while Day Two started with activewear label P.E Nation sending sheer black and beige stocking socks down the runway with sneakers. Liandra also paired sheer stocking socks with sneakers for its show, with stitched flowers extending up the leg. Oh, how we love an affordable trend.
6. Knee-Skimming Board Shorts
AFW took a trip back to mid-noughties Australiana, with knee-skimming board shorts popping up on more than one runway, suggesting that yet another revival trend may be upon us. At Verner, two-tone board shorts in a classic crepe fabric were detailed with two snap buttons at the top, instantly transporting us back to our childhoods. Meanwhile, Alix Higgins showed tan board shorts with a thick pink strip down each side.
7. Panelled Denim
Deconstructed denim, and specifically patchwork pieces, was one of 2023’s biggest denim trends, and it predictably filtered down into the street style looks at the autumn/winter 2024 shows earlier this year. And while we saw this aesthetic in the street style at AFW, denim looked a little bit different on the runway. At Acler, panelled denim jackets offered a more polished iteration of the trend, while Injury went for a more shredded look, with frayed seams and trailing denim strips.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The Best Street Style From Australian Fashion Week
