IMG has today announced the return of Australian Fashion Week, with the help of new title sponsor Afterpay.

The inaugural Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) is set to take place from 31 May – 4 June 2021 at Carriageworks and select venues across Sydney in what is a positive step forward after the turbulence of Covid-19 threatened to end the local showings.

“Now more than ever, we recognise the need to come together to ensure the Australian fashion industry will continue to thrive for decades to come,” says Natalie Xenita, Executive Director of IMG’s fashion events group, Asia-Pacific region.

In an effort to get designers to return to the runway and understanding the difficulties of 2020, IMG’s new partnership with Afterpay will see designer participation fees waived in 2021.

“Our support of Australian Fashion Week, particularly at this time, is just one way we can ensure the sustainability and success of an industry of which we have grown up in,” adds Nick Molnar, Co-Founder of Afterpay.

AAFW 2021 promises live and digital activation environments, where designers will unveil their Resort 2022 collections, as well as consumers able to access select shows and VIP packages via Afterpay Australian Fashion Week: The Experience.

The event will be planned and executed to the guidelines outlined by government and health officials.

Afterpay takes the reins from Mercedes-Benz Australia as title sponsor after a long-term partnership and is pledging to further evolve the event and incubate local and emerging talent.

australianfashionweek.com