Australian Fashion Weeks Dramatic Save from Collapse

For more than a decade, had a home.

Carriageworks became synonymous with the country's biggest fashion event, until its tenure came to an abrupt end this year.

But behind the polished runway shows and curated front rows, insiders say the once-exclusive event was facing a growing identity crisis.

Dwindling buzz, fewer A-list names, the overwhelming rise of influencers and an increasingly fractured fashion landscape forced organisers to make one of the boldest decisions in the event's history.

In what many insiders are calling a desperate but necessary bid to preserve the future of Australian Fashion Week, the Australian Fashion Council made the controversial call to relocate the event from its gritty inner-city home back to Harbour.

Australian Fashion Week is now

And while the move has delivered postcard-perfect visuals, it has also sharply divided the industry.

Few have witnessed the event's transformation quite like celebrity stylist Donny Galella, who has attended Fashion Week for more than 15 years.

'When I first started coming to Fashion Week, this is where it was at,' Galella told the Daily Mail on Wednesday.

'So I feel like it's a bit of a full circle moment, back to where it began.'

Still, even Galella admitted the transition marks a significant shift.

'I'm still acclimatising. I'm still finding my feet,' he said.

Australian Fashion Week has long reinvented itself to survive.

From 2003 to 2012, the event was based at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal, where its glamorous harbourfront location gave the week an unmistakably international feel.

In 2013, organisers shifted to Carriageworks, embracing a more industrial, fashion-forward aesthetic that many believed elevated the event's credibility and edge.

For over a decade, Carriageworks became deeply embedded in AFW's DNA.

But according to insiders, the venue's limitations, combined with broader concerns about declining cultural relevance, made change inevitable.

One fashion publicist told the Daily Mail the move was less about creative ambition and more about survival.

'There was a real sense that Fashion Week needed a reset,' the insider said.

'Attendance patterns were shifting, sponsorship expectations were changing, and there were concerns the event was no longer commanding the same level of national attention.'

The influencer effect

Galella was also candid about how social media has fundamentally reshaped the event.

'When I first started coming, it was pre-social media. It was purely a very fashion industry-led event,' he explained.

'Front row was just filled with fashion media, journalists. Then social media came into play, so the way fashion disperses changed.

'Now you come here and it's full of influencers and people who just love fashion.'

That democratisation has opened the doors to wider audiences, but not everyone is convinced it has been for the better.

Veteran celebrity photographer Richard Milnes, who has been covering Fashion Week for over a decade, said the move to Circular Quay has stripped away some of the event's defining character.

'It's okay, but to be honest, I preferred Carriageworks,' Milnes said.

'Carriageworks was a bigger space. The brickwork, the backgrounds, the atmosphere - it just had more of a vibe.

'Here, it feels more touristy. It's more mainstream. It's not as edgy. It's missing something.'

Milnes also lamented what he sees as the broader dilution of Fashion Week's exclusivity.

'Back in the day, Fashion Week used to attract proper A-listers,' he said.

'Now it's a lot more influencers and minor celebrities. It's definitely changed.'

Another stylist working backstage this week echoed those concerns.

'The harbour is stunning, but there's no denying it feels more commercial,' they said.

'Carriageworks felt like fashion. This feels more like an activation.'

Celebrities, no-shows and the changing front row

One of the most persistent criticisms in recent years has been the noticeable absence of true celebrity power.

While Galella insists stars are still invited, others say the event's social hierarchy has undeniably shifted.

'There are still celebrities,' Galella said.

'There's always this debate that celebrities don't come anymore. I feel like it's their choice not to come, but they would definitely be invited.'

Whether the new location succeeds in drawing back bigger names remains to be seen, though many insiders agree the harbourfront glamour offers a stronger chance.

One senior fashion insider said: 'This move was about optics as much as logistics.

'Sydney Harbour photographs better, performs better online, and gives sponsors a cleaner luxury image.

'But whether it restores AFW's old prestige is another question entirely.'

For all the criticism, there is one undeniable upside.

'You can't beat this view,' Galella said.

'This is iconic. It's amazing.'

And in today's digital-first landscape, that may ultimately be the deciding factor.