Australian Fashion Week Trends: Resort ‘25

Australian Fashion Week is the most influential fashion event in the Asia-Pacific area. Held annually in Sydney each May, the event features the industry’s biggest names alongside the next generation of Australian designers. The main venue for the runway shows is Carriageworks, a multi-arts urban cultural precinct. This year AFW was held from Monday, May 13 through Friday, May 17, 2024 and these collections will drop in-store during October and November 2024, which is early spring in Australia.

Next Gen

Established in 1996, ‘Next Gen’ is a program that supports emerging designers and helps launch their careers. The program's winners are given the opportunity to present their collections at Australian Fashion Week. The 2025 program included designers Emily Watson, Amy Lawrance, Abby Potter of House of Campbell and Chris Potirakis.

AFW Resort 25 Trends

Several strong trends emerged throughout the week.

Latte Dressing

As previously reported by FashionUnited, street style trends are often good indications of what consumers will look for in future seasons. This is true of ‘latte dressing’, which first emerged on the streets and was later seen on the runways of New York, Europe and Sao Paulo. Australian designers followed suit.

Acler: designers, Kathryn Forth and Julia Ritorto

Look 5: a square-cut brown tank top with a long pleated skirt and gold accessories.

Beare Park: designer, Gabriella Pereira

Look 9: a brown faux leather coat with brown Bermuda shorts and white pumps.

Beare Park: designer, Gabriella Pereira

Look 13: a long brown overcoat, double-breasted jacket and over-long pants. An ivory suede clutch and ballet flats finished the look.

Blanca: designer, Ana Piteira

Look 12: a trench coat, miniskirt and clutch, all in a matching patent leather snake print, a blouse with a large floral print in orange and brown and snakeskin brown and orange print boots.

Third Form: designer, Kate Ineson

Look 25: a floor-length brown sleeveless tunic over a sequined midi skirt and strappy sandals.

Viktoria & Woods: designer, Margie Woods

Look 41: an ankle-length brown strapless faux leather dress and split toe boots.

Navel Gazing

Interesting to note that in contrast to their European counterparts, Australian designers chose to expose the midriff instead of the breasts as a key erogenous zone. Cropped tops with low-slung pants was a popular look in the ‘90s and early aughts, a fashion period being re-visited today.

Anna Quan

Look 7: a yellow bralette, silk scarf/hoodie and a black suit with baggy pleated-front pants, shown over fishnet hose. Accessorized by sequined slippers.

Liandra Gaykamangu

Look 7: a pink and orange scarf top, low-slung orange jeans with a second pink waistline, Accessories included a scarf matching the top, sunglasses, raffia earrings and sneakers.

Albus Lumen: designer, Marina Afonina

Look 35: a pink knit bralette with pearls and baggy grey pants with a double waist.

Madre Natura: designer, Jackie Galleghan

Look 6: a beige cotton bralette with matching low-rise baggy pants and a wooden beaded choker.

Romance Was Born: designers, Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales

Look 1: a cropped white jacket with rounded, raised shoulders and intricate embellishment teamed with polka dot cropped pants.

Viktoria & Woods: designer, Margie Woods

Look 25: a white cotton knit bralette and white wide-legged drawstring matching pants with gold jewelry.

Quiet Luxury

A.K.A ‘Stealth Wealth’ this trend is still resonating almost two years after it was first identified.The key items such as trench coats and tailored separates have the kind of longevity that appeals to consumers.

Acler: designers, Kathryn Forth and Julia Ritorto

Look 4: a safari style long coat with matching pleated front pants in a wheat-color

Anna Quan

Look 19: a bright white canvas trench coat with black stitching and a self-belt over black lace hose and sandals.

Blanca: designer, Ana Piteira

Look 1: an oversized jacket and matching shorts in a stitched stripe with raw edges. Gold jewelry and snakeskin ankle boots finished the look.

Rory William Docherty

Look 3: a narrow blue and white shirt with pieced-in inserts was matched to white pleated front wide leg pants, gold jewelry and black boots.

Viktoria & Woods: designer, Margie Woods

Look 27: a white sleeveless vest with an off-center buckle and matching knee-length shorts was accessorized with a gold chain necklace and black boots.

Viktoria & Woods: designer, Margie Woods

Look 40: a pale yellow ribbed tank top with pleated-front pants in the same color. Gold jewelry and split-toe boots finished the look.

Rise and Shine

As the Resort collections drop in-store toward the end of the year, many consumers seek Holiday looks. Several Australian designers used high-shine fabrics, for a series of glamorous evening looks and separates.

Acler: designers, Kathryn Forth and Julia Ritorto

Look 13: a metallic gold pleated floor-length gown with spaghetti straps and bold jewelry.

Michael Lo Sordo

Look 11: a champagne-colored long satin skirt with a white cotton-knit tank top and ivory ballet flats.

Mastani: designer, Kudrat Makkar

Look 10: crinkled silver metallic pants with a white halter neck knit tank top and silver shoes.

Mastani: designer, Kudrat Makkar

Look 26: an ankle-length backless gown in pale green metallic mesh.

Beare Park: designer, Gabriella Pereira

Look 23: a pale blue long gown with a draped neckline cut on the bias with black sandals.

Bec & Bridge: designers, Bec Cooper and Bridget Yorston

Look 33: a silver-grey blouse with a pleated bib and a matching full skirt, accessorized by light silver sandals.

Inside Out

As seen in all of the other fashion weeks recently, panties of various shapes and sizes have been taken out of the boudoir to replace other bottoms.

Blanca: designer, Ana Piteira

Look 2: white high-rise panties were shown under a sheer and semi-sheer layer with a matching bra and snakeskin sandals.

Emma Mulholland

Look 29: bejeweled pink and silver panties, a pink knit camisole, hot pink cardigan with patches and accessories that included pink sunglasses and pearls.

Albus Lumen: designer, Marina Afonina

Look 18: a black cropped tee with logo and a sheer black skirt over black panties and ballet slippers.

Karla Spetic

Look 20: a white lace bodysuit under a black miniskirt superimposed with white panties and white flip flops.

Viktoria & Woods: designer, Margie Woods

Look 37: a light-yellow cardigan set and matching panties with split-toe boots.

Carla Zampatti: designer, Karlie Unger

Look 42: a long-line white coat over high-waisted panties, a sheer turtle-neck, black hosiery, ankle strap shoes, white pressed leather belt and coin pendant.