IMG has announced its series of designer runway shows and programming for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW): The Experience, AAFW’s integrated consumer offering. AAFW will take place 9 -13 May 2022 at Carriageworks in Sydney and virtually at australianfashionweek.com.

“We’re thrilled to present this lineup of designer runway shows, special events and activations exclusively for consumers taking place in-person at Carriageworks. The relationship between designers and their customers has never been stronger and AAFW: The Experience gives consumers a gateway into Fashion Week to engage with the designers they follow in an intimate way,” stated Natalie Xenita, Vice President-Managing Director of IMG’s Fashion Events and Properties, Asia-Pacific. The five-day program offers fans a truly unmatched experience featuring runway shows from some of the newest and most notable names in Australian fashion.

AAFW: The Experience gives consumers exclusive access to Fashion Week through a series of shows nightly at 8pm. These headline events include a show from sustainable designer Hansen & Gretel as well as a group showcase by Indigenous Fashion Projects with designers Indii, Kirrikin, Liandra Swim, Native Swimwear, Ngali and MAARA Collective presented by Afterpay and supported by David Jones. Each event will feature a selection of items available for purchase for a truly immersive fashion experience. AAFW: The Experience also offers consumers inside access to select shows on the official AAFW schedule such as Adaptive Clothing Collective, Daniel Avakian, Dyspnea, First Nations Fashion and Design, Karla Špetić, Mariam Seddiq, Next Gen presented by DHL, sass & bide and St. Agni.

Afterpay, the leader in ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ payments and title sponsor for Australian Fashion Week will stage their blockbuster “Future of Fashion Collection” runway show on Wednesday 11 May at 8pm, championing leading Australian fashion designers and creatives. The show will feature designers Anna Quan, Cue, Manning Cartell, Rachel Gilbert and Oroton, with more to be announced.

Co-founder and Co-CEO of Afterpay, Nick Molnar said “We’re so thrilled to be presenting such an incredibly strong lineup of Australian designers for AAFW 2022 and bringing AAFW: The Experience to fashion-forward consumers like never before. After the tremendous success of AAFW 2021, we look forward to raising the bar and supporting both emerging and established designers by showcasing them on a global scale. We are equally excited to be able to offer tickets to AAFW’s shows to consumers via Afterpay, making AAFW even more accessible to a wider audience.”

AAFW’s series of informative conversations and panels will return with notable industry leaders discussing the most buzzworthy topics of the season. AAFW: The Talks, presented by Glenfiddich Whisky, will feature discussions including:

Empowering Voices: Fashion’s Cultural Impact on Representation and Inclusion
Digital Fashion: The New Frontier
First Nations Fashion and Design: Yours, Mine and Ours
Back of House
Generation: NXT, presented by DHL, with Next Gen 2022’s four winning designers
The Sustainable Business Journey, presented by City of Sydney
AAFW: In Conversation With…, presented by Shopify, a series of intimate discussions with some of the industry’s favourite designers including Anna Quan, bassike, Bianca Spender and GINGER & SMART.

Runway show experiences range from $109 to $300, while The Talks are $49. AAFW: The Experience tickets are limited and now live on australianfashionweek.com, with customers able to use Afterpay at checkout.

Carriageworks, AAFW’s official event hub, will engage and entertain attendees and guests between shows with food and beverage offerings including the Hendrick’s Gin Parlour, Glenfiddich’s Whisky Wanderer and Vittoria’s pop-up cafe, alongside bespoke partner activations. Carriageworks is open daily from 9am to 10pm during AAFW.

AAFW is an IMG event supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

Minister for Enterprise, Investment, Trade and Tourism, Stuart Ayres, said “The NSW Government is proud to support Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, which not only contributes to the cultural offering of Sydney but also helps ignite growth in our state’s creative and retail industries by providing opportunities for designers to showcase their creativity and forge new pathways to market.

“This is a signature event on our state’s event calendar, putting a spotlight on Sydney as the fashion capital of Australia and underscoring the importance of retail tourism. We are committed to supporting events like Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, which align with our Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 to make NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific.”

In addition to Afterpay and Destination NSW, AAFW is made possible through the support of sponsors City of Sydney, David Jones, DHL, Disaronno, GlamCorner, Glenfiddich Whisky, Hendrick’s Gin, LG Laundry Appliances, Porsche, Redken, San Pellegrino, Shopify, SKYE Suites and Vittoria Coffee.

The digital destination of Fashion Week is AAFW.com, where fashion fans can get a front-row seat to fashion shows, programming and exclusive content, live and on-demand.