Australian Fashion Council

Home
Australia
Collingwood, VIC
Australian Fashion Council

Australia's peak TCF industry body. Independent and not for profit membership body, supporting and ad

The Council of Textile & Fashion exists to promote the growth of the industry in Australia. The Council of Textile & Fashion is a not-for-profit membership organisation with 65 years service of the industry. Our Members are drawn from across the fashion and textile industry value chain, and range from micro to large companies, as well as education, state and national industry associations and stud

ents.

5 AREAS OF FOCUS
- Strengthening supply chains
- Growing exports
- Helping new businesses become established
- Developing industry practices in ethical and sustainable product
- Capitalising on innovative ideas

OUR ACTIVITIES
Fashion Community News
Friday Afternoon Sessions
Industry Round-tables
Funding Access Points
Innovation Tools
Business Practice Guidelines
Export Market Pathways
Supply Chain Connections
Industry Policy Development
Vocational Training & Short Courses
Australian Standards Committees
Trade Events and Networking

28/08/2026

Create NSW has opened applications for the Quick Response Fashion Grant Program 2026-27, with the funding pool increased to $500,000 this year. Grants of up to $10,000 are available for equipment and production upgrades, or for professional development and networking opportunities both locally and globally.

Half of the funding is targeted towards First Nations, Western Sydney and regionally-based creatives.

AFC Member, Gali Swimwear founder David Leslie used his grant to take his brand to international audiences. As he put it: "Having an organisation that believed in the project gave me the confidence to make it happen."

Applications are open now and close Thursday 19 November 2026. Head to the link in bio to apply.

26/08/2026

The AFC Export Readiness Program wraps up this week with its final session covering Paris and the European market.

You'll hear from Damien Pommeret (The Woolmark Company), Samuel Willett (The Future School of) and Lauren Munting (Library of Goods) on strategic market context, practical export tools, and how to build a brand story that lands with European buyers and media.

4-5pm, Thursday 27th August 2026. Online via Zoom

If you're an Australian fashion brand looking at Europe, don't miss this one.

Click the link in bio to register.

21/08/2026

We're proud to announce our 2026 cohort heading to CENTRESTAGE Hong Kong this September as part of AFC Global Gateways: Hong Kong 2026.

Gary Bigeni, VAN BRUSSEL, VICETA WANG, NIAMH GALEA, Briar Will, WEST 14TH, MOS the Label, Asiyam, Buluuy Mirrii and Permanent Vacation will join the AFC Pavilion, connecting with international buyers, media and industry, opening new export pathways across Asia.

The 2026 program is delivered by the AFC with support from the Trade Diversification Network and funded through the Accessing New Markets Initiative (ANMI), a $55 million Australian Government program helping Australian businesses diversify and grow their exports, designed and jointly delivered by Austrade and industry.

Link in bio to read more.

19/08/2026

Your brand could be the next Australian label buyers in Hong Kong are talking about. Tomorrow, we show you how to get there.

Jonathan Lee (The Molecule), Elisa Harca (Red Ant Asia) and Valerie Chan (Austrade) are joining us for one hour of real strategy, real export tools, and real lessons from a brand already trading in Hong Kong.

This is session two of the AFC Export Readiness Program, delivered in partnership with Austrade's Accessing New Markets Initiative (ANMI), a $55M program supporting Australian businesses to diversify and grow their exports.

4–5pm AEST this Thursday 20 August, online via Zoom.
Free for AFC members, $50 plus booking fee for everyone else.

Link in bio to save your spot

18/08/2026

What does the future of "Made in Australia" actually look like?

Our team went behind the scenes at Bradfield's Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility to find out.

AFC Executive Chair Marianne Perkovic, alongside Lisa Lake () and Brad Haylock (), got a firsthand look at state-of-the-art robotics and manufacturing tech, all in the name of research for our Smart Factory initiative.

Scoping today, building tomorrow. This is how we bring advanced manufacturing capability back to Australian fashion.

Head to the link in bio for the latest on our Australian Clothing Smart Factory.

14/08/2026

Lee Mathews has spent over two decades building one of Australia's most distinctive independent labels, known for its considered fabric, quiet confidence, and a design sensibility that owes nothing to trend cycles. Started at her kitchen table, it's grown into a self-funded fashion house with stores across Sydney and Melbourne.

In this edition of Future Makers, Lee shares the mentors who shaped her, and why she's never chased growth for growth's sake.

We found it a genuinely inspiring read, we hope you do too. Link in bio.

06/08/2026

Your brand could be selling overseas right now. The question is whether it's ready to.

This session is where you find out. We'll walk through a readiness toolkit, the different ways you can enter an export market, and the government funding that's actually out there to help you make it happen.

This is the opening session of the AFC Export Readiness Program, delivered in partnership with Austrade's Accessing New Markets Initiative (ANMI), a $55M program supporting Australian businesses to diversify and grow their exports.

4–5PM AEST, Thursday 13th August. Online via Zoom
Free for AFC Members / $50 for Non-Members.

Click the link in bio to register.

05/08/2026

Census night is only 6 days away.

We need your help to make sure our industry gets counted accurately.

The problem: Filling out the census incorrectly costs our industry, impacting policy support and funding for the next five years.

So we've put together a Census Guide to help you (and your team) fill out the Census correctly.

Share this post, and download our Employer Toolkit (Cheat sheet, print a flyer for your break room) to spread the word. Link in bio.

Count Us In. Let's tell the Census. 489,000 strong and growing.

04/08/2026

Good Things, Worn Longer. 🤍

AFC member Lee Mathews has newly teamed up with last week, making it easy to give their pre-loved pieces a second life.

Simply submit eligible garments for assessment and authentication, then earn rewards, including Lee Mathews store credit, once accepted.

A great initiative keeping well-made Australian fashion in circulation for longer.

Explore via the link in bio.

31/07/2026

We joined Austrade's briefing on the new 12.5% US tariff. Here's what it means for Australian fashion, straight from the source.

Around 70% of Australian goods still enter the US duty free. But with 97% of our industry manufacturing offshore, most of our product doesn't qualify, so fashion is more exposed than the national numbers show.

We're not chasing tariff relief. We're calling for policy that levels the playing field. The US and France are backing their industries with real standards. Australia should too.

Exporting to the US? Know which products are affected, stay close to customers, review pricing, and diversify. We're opening new markets through our AFC Global Gateways program in Hong Kong, Paris and more to come.

Full breakdown via Ragtrader, link in bio.

Address

Collingwood, VIC
3066

Website

http://www.ausfashioncouncil.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Australian Fashion Council posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Australian Fashion Council:

Want your business to be the top-listed Clothing Store in Collingwood?