• Natalie Xenita - IMG Fashion Events & Properties Asia Pacific MD
    Natalie Xenita - IMG Fashion Events & Properties Asia Pacific MD
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IMG Fashion Events and Properties, Asia Pacific VP-MD Natalie Xenita reveals the inner workings at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW).

They say time flies when you’re having fun.

Despite the tremendous challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the cancellation of fashion week in 2020, there’s nothing more thrilling than working year round on the event and then seeing it come to life.

2020 provided us with a real inflection point to ask ourselves what fashion week meant and where we wanted to take it into the future.

1. Preparing for AAFW during a pandemic

AAFW usually sees more than 25,000 people visit Carriageworks during the event over five days.

With restrictions in NSW constantly in a state of flux, our team has had to prepare a number of different scenarios based on NSW health guidelines.

This included preparing multiple floor plans for designer shows based on various capacities that could change at any minute, and reviewing every component of our event model including guest flow, what the set up looks like backstage including the set up for our hair and makeup teams.

2. Bringing AAFW to more audiences that ever before

Each year international buyers and media travel to Sydney to see the collections of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week’s participating designers.

With the borders closed due to the pandemic, we have launched our global fashion platform, ausfw.com, streaming designer shows and programming live throughout the week.

This central fashion hub will showcase designer shows live, brand films, presentations and more alongside talks and masterclasses featuring fashion’s favourite stars and icons.

3. Supporting Australian fashion’s future

Recognising the tremendous challenges faced by the Australian fashion industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re supporting Australian designers in 2021 by waiving designer participation fees to show on the official AAFW schedule.

To further assist designers, we also have a selection of runway shows open to consumers via AAFW: The Experience.

Consumers will be able to shop from selected runways to directly support designers’ retail sales through the event.

4. Creating a more equitable and accessible industry

The expectation of fashion’s responsibility to inspire social change – be it in representation, environmental, political or otherwise – is something that IMG is committed to and that we take seriously.

We’ve partnered with First Nations Fashion and Design to host events and programming spotlighting Indigenous Australian designers and talent, including a Welcome to Country as the official opening event of AAFW, a runway show and talk.

5. Fashioning the future

Sustainability continues to be one of the most noteworthy innovations shaping our industry and its future, and we’re dedicated to leveraging AAFW as a platform to advance sustainability within the fashion industry and positioning AAFW as a leader in sustainably produced fashion events globally.

This year we will be bringing together thought leaders and opinion-makers to engage and inspire event attendees and industry representatives, leveraging AAFW’s platform to act as a catalyst for change.

6. Showcasing Australia’s emerging design talent

This year’s winners of IMG’s emerging designer program, Next Gen, showcase the creative excellence and talent who are shaping the future of Australian fashion.

Next Gen was established in 1996 with the goal of identifying Australia’s next generation of emerging designers, and twenty-five years on, this continues to be one of the most exciting moments during fashion week in Sydney.

The designers will present their collections on Tuesday 1, June at 2pm live at Carriageworks. This show is not to be missed.

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