After 13 years at Carriageworks, Australian Fashion Week moved to the Museum of Contemporary Art, offering a picturesque backdrop of the iconic Sydney Harbour. This year, some of our favourite fashion brands took to the runway to showcase their highly anticipated Resort '27 collections — and we were busy taking notes.
While we may have to wait to shop the collections, there's no stopping us from replicating some of the biggest trends we spotted both on and off the runway.
Fringing Galore
Sydney-born brand ESSE Studios debuted the Editions collection among the marble pillars at the MCA, showcasing plenty of relaxed tailoring, sculptural silhouettes and soft fringing. Far from the festival fringe we've known over the years, elongated silk and satin threads hung intentionally from the hems of maxi dresses and scarves instead. Forget tassels — these elegant strands offer a much more polished look, perfect for a black-tie wedding, evening drinks soirée or any occasion that calls for dressing up.
Luxe Leather
It's official: outerwear is no longer the item you throw on before leaving the house; it's the centrepiece of an entire outfit. Thanks to the influx of funnel necks and the resurgence of the bomber jacket, outerwear has taken its rightful place in our wardrobes — and we're not complaining. But if we really had to choose, we're just happy to have leather jackets back on rotation, complete with expensive-looking finishes, clean cuts, high necklines and great pockets.
Sheer Moment
We're no strangers to a touch of sheer fabric, but spotting it back on the runway confirmed it's not going anywhere anytime soon, and we're thrilled about it. Yet Courtney Zheng showed us that the sheer trend doesn't have to involve baring all. Instead, it's about mixing translucent pieces with fluid tailoring, mastering the art of layering. The result? Transparent pieces that feel soft and ethereal, while remaining completely wearable.
Knee Highs
Yes, boots are a mainstay of the winter months, and while models, editors and fashion girls alike were all spotted wearing a pair, many gravitated towards the same silhouette. Knee-high boots were in abundance — some leather, some suede — yet almost all featured a sleek pointed toe, with the street style crowd essentially showing us how to wear this season's most popular shoe. Often styled with mini shorts, skirts or layered beneath a long sheer skirt, the stiletto-heeled style proved to have endless styling options.
Silky Separates
If quiet luxury has taught us one thing, it's that sleek, high-shine fabrics like silk and satin can make an outfit look incredibly expensive. Thrust into the spotlight in the form of silky separates, these luxurious fabrics stole the show on Carla Zampatti's runway. And if we weren't already lusting over the fluid silhouettes, it was the gold and dusty pink colour combinations that won us over next.
