Originally published by Mike Gambaro of The Courier Mail.
25.08.2026
Brisbane Fashion Festival opened its 21st year on Monday night, with the city’s fashion scene taking centre stage across a packed program of events.
Festival celebrations began with an exclusive invitation-only event for Kidman, marking the opening of its brand new Brisbane flagship store ahead of the label’s appearance in the sold-out W Brisbane Fashion Show on Tuesday.
The W show will launch the festival’s runway program, bringing together leading Queensland and Australian designers and retailers and showcasing fashion audiences can discover and shop for in Brisbane.
It will be followed by a stand-alone Carla Zampatti runway, with one of Australia’s most celebrated fashion houses bringing its latest collection to the Brisbane catwalk.
Now entering its third decade, Brisbane Fashion Festival has grown from a platform championing local designers into Queensland’s premier fashion event.
Festival director Lindsay Bennett said Brisbane no longer needed to look elsewhere for inspiration.
“Brisbane can be whatever it wants to be in the fashion world,” Bennett said.
“We don’t need to imitate, we are an international destination and fashion capital in our own right.”
The Festival continues throughout the week with local and national designers taking to the runway.
