South Australia’s unique, diverse and talented fashion industry will be celebrated in a dedicated weekend that explores and champions the state’s style.
To bring culture, fashion, and inclusivity to life, the South Australian Fashion Industry Association (SAFIA) presents: South Australian Fashion Weekend.
The inaugural fashion-forward weekend will take place from March 24 to March 26, and will showcase South Australian emerging and established fashion, footwear and accessory brands.
Representing “Exclusively Inclusive”, SA Fashion Weekend will take centre stage at the newly completed Festival Plaza at the Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road. The weekend kicks off on Friday evening with the Black Dress Runway produced by Finesse Models Australia.
On Saturday evening, SAFIA will present a series of three diverse, accessible, and future-focused runway shows: EMERGE, SUSTAIN, and MOMENT. Each runway presents a strong feature, from sustainable and ethically sourced brands, creative emerging and TAFE SA graduate collections, to established brands showcasing casual, athleisure, and evening collections.
The show-stopping runways will be ahead of the curve — not only will the modelling talent come from a range of cultural nationalities and genders, but include healthy body types of all sizes across the three runways.
As part of the fashion weekend’s DNA, diversity will be celebrated on and off the runway with people from all walks of life attending the shows, due to both its relatable representation and accessible pricing, with tickets starting from $50. Fashion-goers will enjoy live DJs, bars and food trucks, with drinks on arrival, gift bags to take home, incredible opportunities to be seen and photographed, and a party atmosphere to dance the night away.
SA Fashion Weekend will also showcase Lakun Mara by Ngarrindjeri, Ngadjuri, Narungga & Wirangu artist Sonya Rankine. Lakun Mara is weaving and culture and is at the heart of her art that is strongly linked to cultural maintenance, survival and revival. Sunday will be a smorgasbord of talent, hosting a South Australian Designer Showcase, whereby designers can showcase, share and sell fashion, footwear, accessories, beauty and lifestyle products from 10am until 4pm at the Festival Plaza.
Collaborating with SA Fashion Weekend is local artist Tiff Manuell. Reflecting on the design of the original piece for SA Fashion Weekend, Tiff explains “I love nothing more than creating artwork that helps to evoke positivity and passion.”
“This colour palette is a beautiful representation of South Australia, our warm weather, vibrant landscapes and energetic community, all attributes that influence our unique creative aesthetic. I feel privileged to have helped create the mood for this wonderful event.”
Chair of SAFIA, Helen Jansson says “South Australian Fashion Weekend aims to show the beauty and diversity of our burgeoning industry in a way that is accessible to all.
“South Australia is home to some of the largest brands sold in Australia and overseas, along with an eclectic selection of small homegrown businesses, including sustainable farm to fashion ventures and with categories from surf to special occasion. SAFIA is really excited to present this wonderful series of Fashion runways and events.”
To find out more and book tickets to the exclusive events, visit the South Australian Fashion Weekend website. Follow the event on Instagram here.