The announcement follows a landmark week for AFC Australian Fashion Week 2026 presented by Shark Beauty, held May 11-15 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, which delivered 51 events, including 32 runway shows by 39 Australian designers, alongside an international buyer and press delegation representing some of the world's largest retail and media platforms. Australian fashion contributes $27.2 billion to the national economy, employs approximately 489,000 Australians (77 per cent of them women) and generates $7.2 billion in exports annually.
The Australian Fashion Council (AFC), supported by the NSW Government and Austrade, will bring up to 15 designers to Paris Fashion Week SS27 through its Global Gateways: Paris 2026 programme. The initiative includes a dedicated Australian showroom, export training and buyer engagement, helping to expand global opportunities for emerging, established and First Nations fashion brands.
AFC's Global Gateways: Paris 2026 will bring up to 15 Australian designers to a showroom centrally located at Paris Fashion Week, supported by a structured program of pre-departure export preparation, participation at the Australian Ambassador's Residence and a cocktail party bringing together international buyers, press and Australia's leading designers active in the Paris market during the week. The program is being implemented with support from Austrade through the New Market Access Initiative Business Diversification Network and Create NSW as part of the New South Wales Fashion Sector Strategy 2025-2028.
Arts Minister John Graham said: “Australian fashion is both a celebration of creativity and a very important economic driver. In New South Wales, the fashion industry contributes $9.7 billion to the state economy and employs more than 174,000 people.
“That's why we were pleased to partner with the sector to develop the country's first fashion sector strategy. During that process, the number one priority put to us by the industry was the need for the industry and governments to work together to expand export avenues for Australian designers.
“Australian designers, with their iconic and fresh styles, are already sought after internationally, but the truth is we have more talent to share.”
Applications will be open to designers and AFC members nationally through two pathways: an AFW Track for designers who presented at Australian Fashion Week in 2025 or 2026, and a national competitive application open to all AFC members. The cohort will include both emerging and established designers, with dedicated spots for First Nations designers. New South Wales designers receive targeted support through Create NSW's investment in the program, with places available to designers from across Australia through the Austrade Business Diversification Network.
AFC chief executive Marianne Perkovic said the Paris activation marks a structural shift in the way Australian fashion engages with global markets.
“Australian fashion has always had talent. What's been missing is infrastructure: the kind of coordinated, government-backed presence that takes designers beyond individual forays into the market and into sustained international relationships. Global Gateways: Paris 2026 is that infrastructure.
“At AFC Australian Fashion Week, presented by Shark Beauty, international buyers from Al Tayer, Browns, Liberty, Net-A-Porter, Revolve and Selfridges saw what Australian fashion can do at home. In September, we brought that offering to Paris, the most concentrated buyer's market in the world, and we do it as a domestic industry. “This will be a significant moment for Australian fashion on the world stage and we look forward to working with our partners at Austrade and Create NSW to support the global growth of Australian fashion. Australian fashion sector.
The program is supported by Austrade through the Access New Markets Initiative (ANMI), the Australian Government's $50 million export diversification program run jointly by Austrade and industry. The AFC is one of 40 national industry bodies selected to participate in the ANMI Trade Diversification Network, through which government and industry work together to design and execute export initiatives for specific sectors. The national reach of the Trade Diversification Network allows emerging, established and First Nations designers from across Australia to apply.
Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said Australian fashion is a major export industry, supporting almost 500,000 Australian jobs and this is exactly the type of initiative the Trade Diversification Network was designed to support during a challenging period in the global trade environment.
“Australia has just closed a historic agreement with the European Union, which opens a market of around 450 million people, in 27 countries, to Australian designers.
“We want to see more Australian fashion on the streets and in stores around the world. Getting more Australian designers in front of international buyers is not only good for the industry, it's good for Australian jobs and the Australian economy.”
Jay Meek, General Manager, Business Diversification Working Group, Austradesaid: “The Trade Diversification Network was built on a simple premise: government and industry work together, using the combined reach of Austrade's global network and the sector knowledge of major bodies like the AFC, to bring more Australian businesses to more markets. Global Gateways: Paris is precisely the type of activity the program was designed for: structured, commercially focused and built on a clear understanding of where global buyers are and what they need to see. Australian fashion has the product and the ambition, and we are delighted to support them.
Creating NSW's investment in Global Gateways: Paris 2026 directly delivers on the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy 2025-2028, Australia's first government fashion sector strategy developed in partnership with the AFC. Establishing international export pathways for NSW designers is a core strategic priority of the Strategy, with $250,000 specifically allocated to support emerging designers to grow their export markets. Funding in the Paris program is reserved for the participation of New South Wales designers, with dedicated places for emerging, established and First Nations designers.
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Fiber2Fashion News Desk (RM)
