SYDNEY (21 January, 2021)
IMG today announced the schedule of consumer events and programming for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW): The Experience, AAFW’s integrated consumer offering. AAFW: The Experience invites consumers to attend a selection of see-now, buy-now runway shows on the official AAFW schedule. For the first time, consumers will be able to shop directly from the runway using Afterpay.
After successfully piloting the experiential consumer platform at New York Fashion Week, IMG is bringing opportunities to the Australian fashion industry and its market in one dynamic program. AAFW will take place 31 May – 4 June, 2021, live at Carriageworks, Sydney and virtually at australianfashionweek.com.
All events will be executed in accordance with all government and health official guidelines. Presented by Afterpay, the 2021 consumer runway show program includes:
- Monday 31 May, 7.30pm: AAFW’s blockbuster opening night showcase, with details soon to be announced.
- Tuesday 1 June, 7.30pm: A see-now, buy-now runway from bassike, one of Australia’s leading designer fashion brands with a philosophy that centres on high-quality design and sustainable manufacturing.
- Wednesday 2 June, 7.30pm: The original house of sustainability, designer Kit Willow of KITX will present a see-now, buy-now showcase of her luxurious positive impact women’s ready-to-wear.
- Thursday 3 June, 7.30pm: Celebrating their 15th anniversary, Manning Cartell will return to the AAFW schedule with a see-now, buy-now show.
- Friday 4 June, 7.30pm: AAFW will close with a collective showcase celebrating the future of Australian fashion.
“AAFW: The Experience opens the doors of fashion week to directly advance designers’ retail businesses and creates opportunity to drive loyalty amongst new and existing customers,” said Natalie Xenita, Executive Director of IMG’s fashion events group, Asia-Pacific region. “We are thrilled to reconnect with live audiences at Carriageworks with this curated program of runway shows and informative fashion events, to entertain and engage fashion’s most passionate consumers.”
AAFW’s ongoing series of culturally-enriching conversations, AAFW: The Talks, will return in 2021 with topics including:
- Passion for Purpose, Monday 31 May, 6pm: Authenticity is an important currency in today’s tumultuous world. In a culture overwhelmed with marketing, how can brands cut through using experiences and content to share their values and form deeper relationships with new and existing customers?
- Wonder Women, Tuesday 1 June, 6pm: Australia’s brightest creative minds across industries who are pioneering ideas and breaking ground both internationally and on home soil share their experiences to inspire a fresh perspective on collaboration.
- Fashioning the Future, presented by City of Sydney, Wednesday 2 June, 6pm: The public dialogue around sustainability in fashion often begins and ends with the environment, but the human implications are far reaching. Unpacking the bigger picture around social sustainability.
- Generation: NXT, Thursday 3 June, 6pm: Australian fashion’s next generation of designers share the challenges and opportunities of working during the pandemic, and where they see the future of our industry.
Consumers will be able to purchase tickets using Afterpay. Runway show experiences range from $119 to $349, while The Talks are priced at $59. AAFW: The Experience tickets are now available online at http://australianfashionweek.com/experience.php.
Australian-born retail payments platform Afterpay will be kicking off its first year as the title partner of AAFW.
“Afterpay is looking forward to enabling a wider consumer audience access to all the runway shows and talks that make up Afterpay Australian Fashion Week: The Experience. Members of the public can not only purchase their tickets and pay for them in four interest free instalments, but purchase directly from the runway, and pay later using Afterpay,” said Nick Molnar, Co-Founder and Co CEO, Afterpay.
AAFW is an IMG event supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said: “The Experience is a tremendous addition to the Afterpay Australian Fashion Week program, giving consumers the opportunity to directly participate and contribute to one of our most exciting industries. As a global centre for creativity and innovation, Sydney is the perfect host for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week and we look forward to welcoming both fashion designers and fashion enthusiasts to enjoy the excitement and buzz of this leading event, set in our spectacular Harbour City.”
In addition to Afterpay and Destination NSW, AAFW is made possible through the support of City of Sydney, ghd hair, Napoleon Perdis, Hunter Lab, GlamCorner, San Pellegrino, Tempus Two and Disaronno.
The digital home for AAFW is http://www.australianfashionweek.com and @AusFashionWeek across Instagram and Facebook, and @AUSFW on Twitter, where fans may follow along through the official event hashtags, #AUSFW and #AAFW.