Established in 1993, this annual display provides a glimpse into the exciting potential of the next generation of Australian fashion designers. It showcases outfits from the final-year ranges of top students from four Sydney-based fashion design schools:

Fashion Design Studio, TAFE NSW, Ultimo Campus

Torrens University Australia – Billy Blue College of Design

University of Technology Sydney

Whitehouse Institute of Design

The Australian fashion industry generates millions in domestic and export earnings, making it a key component of our cultural and creative industries sector. Fashion design schools prepare graduates to take on diverse roles in the industry, fostering creativity, critical thinking and entrepreneurship.

Christopher Potirakis
Whitehouse Institute of Design

‘With utilitarianism as the foundation of my design philosophy, my work explores both the physical and digital world of fashion by implementing artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies into my design process.

‘Planet Daft is an interactive fashion project I direct, focused on designing and developing unique stories/ experiences in support of wearable and collectable products, including virtual clothing (avatar wear). Planet Daft’s Autumn Winter 22 Collection, Abandonware, explores the idea of digital wastelands, taking inspiration from the intimidating silhouettes of military uniforms and equipment. It embraces the forgotten eras of software and hardware, obsolete technology that finds itself discarded by its very own creators, but also how this outdated tech lives on through a network of users all actively participating in its exchange, preservation and usage.’

Tina Zhang
Fashion Design Studio | TAFE NSW Ultimo Campus

‘Deeply inspired by my personal experience and journey through Tibet, my Lost Horizon collection aims to capture traditional elements of Tibetan culture along with the liberation and personal growth I experienced in Tibet. The experimentation encompassed a vast range of materials, shapes, colours, and textures. Through this, I have been able to capture the surrealness and beauty of the Tibetan landscape. The use of traditional tailoring with elements of couture and utilitarian style display a balance between Western and Eastern culture, with references to surrealism/realism along with masculinity/femininity.’

Frances Harvey
University of Technology Sydney

‘AFTERLIFE explores the complex relationships we have with clothing in life and death, seeking to develop an identity beyond the body. AFTERLIFE was created with assistance from a scholarship by Liberty Fabrics, using traditional prints and heritage designs to anchor the historical references of the collection, and juxtaposed against contemporary garment silhouettes.

An allegory for these relationships, the collection presents clothing as a facade, focusing on the illusory aspect of our physical existence, which is brought out when approached from the perspective of dressing in death. Pieces were developed through an investigation of the conventions of clothing the body in burial traditions and practices. This body of work explores notions of death, materiality, and the performance of dress through upcycling materials, garment preservation and compression, print, and literary text.’

Julie Jee Eun Song
Torrens University Australia | Billy Blue College of Design

‘Jibé, meaning ‘at home’ in Korean, was born during the global pandemic. With restrictions in place, having to literally stay ‘at home’ spending extended periods of time with family and friends has inevitably forced me to slow down and connect with my inner self. I seek to portray an evolving story of an individual returning to their roots through using traditional silhouettes, handcraft techniques, colours and fabrics. This collection is a celebration of culture and identity. It’s a representation of the resilience required to navigate a new way of balancing tradition and rebellion. Being acutely aware of our current environmental challenges, I have explored the idea of using handcraft techniques, using recycled sari materials for the yarn.’

Gallery

Outfit comprising oversize puffer jacket and cargo pants in water resistant poly ripstop, cotton blend turtleneck top, utility belts in seatbelt webbing and full-face sheer balaclava

Outfit comprising digital printed poly chiffon, wool and elastic knit boned corset top, cotton velvet and bird’s-eye weave worsted wool blazer and shorts Photography: Sonny Vandevelde

Pushing Up Daisies, screen printed recycled curtain dress with recycled cotton ties, resin cast shirt made from screen printed Liberty fabrics Photography: Dario Hardaker

Yong cropped wool blazer and trousers with recycled sari silk crocheted vest Photography: Jonathan Rae, Anne Thu Pham

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