Australian Fashion Council names 12 designers for its first Paris trade showroom

The Australian Fashion Council has selected 12 labels for Australian Fashion Rooms, a trade showroom it will stage in Paris during the womenswear season, marking the biggest international initiative the peak body has attempted.

The cohort is Amy Lawrance, Buai, Caroline Reznik, ESSE, Haluminous, Ilio Nema, Maara Collective, Madre Natura, Miimi & Jiinda, NGALI, Paolo Sebastian and Romance Was Born, spanning couture, ready-to-wear, First Nations-led practice, artisanal craft and experimental design. Half have previously shown at Australian Fashion Week through group shows or solo runways.

The showroom runs from September 30 to October 4 at Galerie Poggi, 135 Rue Saint-Martin in the fourth arrondissement, open from 9.30am to 7pm. Buyer and industry appointments are handled through the AFC.

Public money behind the push

The programme is funded through Austrade's Trade Diversification Network, the delivery model for the 50 million dollar Accessing New Markets Initiative, and by Create NSW under the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy 2025-2028. That strategy, which the state government describes as the first of its kind in Australia, lists export pathways for NSW designers among its six priorities.

Australian Fashion Rooms sits inside AFC Global Gateways, the council's export platform, which previously activated in Hong Kong. Paris is its largest outing so far, with further markets slated for 2027.

Marianne Perkovic, executive chair of the AFC, said: "Australian creativity is distinctive, globally relevant and deserves to be seen on the world stage. AFC's Australian Fashion Rooms creates a genuine point of discovery in Paris, connecting 12 Australian designers directly with the buyers, media and industry leaders who can turn international interest into commercial opportunity."

She added that the council's aim went beyond visibility: "With the support of Austrade and Create NSW, our ambition is not simply to showcase Australian fashion to the world, but to help our brands build lasting global businesses."

Perkovic put the domestic industry's contribution at 27.2 billion Australian dollars to the economy and 7.2 billion in exports.

Jay Meek, general manager for Austrade's Trade Diversification Taskforce, said: "This cohort of 12 Australian fashion designers showcases the value of the Trade Diversification Network in action, bringing together Austrade's global reach and the AFC's industry expertise to connect Australian designers with international buyers and new growth opportunities."

Selection and staging

An advisory panel informed the line-up, drawing on Aje, Camilla and Marc, David Jones and 10 Magazine alongside Dan Thawley, Kellie Hush and Yatu Widders Hunt. Participating designers are working through a readiness programme covering brand positioning, wholesale and export preparation ahead of the trip.

The showroom is being staged as a gallery-style environment, with a food offer developed by Australian chef and food stylist Sian Redgrave and coffee from Sydney roaster The Little Marionette. The programme opens with a reception at the Australian Embassy in Paris hosted by ambassador Lynette Wood.

The Paris move comes as the AFC continues to run Australian Fashion Week itself, having taken the event over in 2025 after IMG exited its Australian events business. The 2026 edition, its thirtieth, ran in May at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art.