Australian Fashion Week will be back in 2025, returning as an industry-led event with a renewed focus, after receiving funding from Destination NSW. A steering committee has formed that includes the event’s original founder, Simon Lock.

On Sunday 15th of December, NSW Jobs and Tourism Minister John Graham said the state government would be funding the May event in 2025. 

“[Fashion Week] is an essential showcase of one of our largest creative industries, highlighting the depth of talent not only in NSW but throughout Australia.” 

In 2005 Fashion week was sold to events and marketing firm IMG. But, in November, 2024 IMG said that operations would cease in Australia. Since then, the non-profit industry group Australian Fashion Council has been petitioning for support. 

According to the Australian Financial Review, there has been some criticism that larger Australian designers have dropped out of the event. Simon Lock has said that fashion week would look different next year with a renewed focus on supporting the growth of emerging designers. 

“Don’t expect to see Zimmermann,” he said, “If Zimmermann was showing, there’d be something wrong with Zimmermann. People need to realise that the big names are big because they grew through Fashion Week. We should be proud that those designers have moved on. For those designers, it’s a badge of honour not to show.” 

Fashion Week will be held from May 12-16, 2025, at Sydney’s Carriageworks, and the schedule and designers will be announced next year.