SYDNEY — Ethan Bergersen and Indigo Stuart are the recipients of the Australian Fashion Foundation’s 2025 Scholarship Awards. 

Revealed at a function at Piermarq Gallery in Sydney on Monday, the two fashion graduates of the University of Technology, Sydney, and Melbourne’s RMIT, respectively, have each won a 20,000 Australian dollar, or $12,700, grant and a six-month internship placement with an international fashion brand. 

Now in their 16th year and currently presented in partnership with the Australian Fashion Council and The Next Generation, the family foundation of Afterpay cofounder Nick Molnar and his wife Gabi, the AUSFF Awards were established by two New York-based Australians, publicist Malcolm Carfare and VFiles founder and chief executive officer Julie-Anne Quay. 

Previous winners went on to complete internships at international luxury brands including Alexander McQueen, Altuzarra, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, Narciso Rodriguez, Oscar de la Renta, Proenza Schouler and Thom Browne.  

A number have also gone on to permanent positions with international companies, including Tim Watson (2012), who is Daniel Roseberry’s creative right hand at Schiaparelli, and Talisa Trantino (2013), who is head of design for jewelry and special projects at Loewe.

“The global fashion industry is experiencing a major shift of opportunity right now — we’re seeing a seismic transition of designers in the major houses, and in Australia I’m excited to see what will no doubt be one of the most important Australian Fashion Weeks in 2025,” Carfrae said.

Following last month’s announcement that IMG is dismantling its Australian fashion events business and abandoning Australian Fashion Week, the 2025 event, which is due to run from May 12 to 16 at Sydney’s Carriageworks, will be led by the Australian Fashion Council. Event founder Simon Lock, also the founder and CEO of fashion technology company The Ordre Group, is confirmed to play a key role in the event’s executive team. 

This year’s AUSFF judging panel included fashion stylist Brana Wolf, Camilla and Marc cofounder and creative director Camilla Freeman-Topper and Zimmermann cofounder and creative director Nicky Zimmermann.

Added Carfrae, “Together with the Australian Fashion Council and The Next Generation, along with the support of our esteemed panel of judges, we are ensuring that the future of Australian creative talent can be part of that global conversation. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for our two winners.”