How We Prep for Australian Fashion Week

Skin, schedule and the best seats in Sydney.

Fashion Week doesn’t just happen. And if you think the girls who look effortlessly put together backstage at the MCA (new location alert) simply rolled out of bed like that, we need to talk!

We have our AFW prep down to a near perfect art. It’s part ritual and part knowing exactly which bar stool has your name on it by Thursday evening.

Here’s how we actually prep for the week in advance.

Two Weeks Out: The Skin Edit

Everything starts with skin. Two weeks before the first show, we book in for a facial and a chemical peel. It sounds intense, and yes, there’s a brief window where you look slightly worse before you look significantly better.

But by the time the week kicks off, your skin is doing the heavy lifting so your makeup doesn’t have to. Think of it as the foundation of the foundation.

From there it’s hydration, SPF, and keeping things calm and simple. Fashion Week is not the week to experiment. That’s what February is for.

The Week Of: How We Move

Fashion Week is designed to appear effortless. The reality behind it rarely is.

The first thing we do is map the show schedule against each other. Attending Fashion Week as a duo means coordinating in sync. Which shows have we both been invited to? Who’s covering what aspect should our schedules conflict?

It’s also worth noting that shows run behind schedule and overtime, which can play into post show appointments. That 3pm show? We’re not booking dinner until 7:30pm at the earliest. Trust us, we’ve learnt the hard way.

Beyond the runway, the week entails an ecosystem of brand activations, industry lunches, cocktail hours that are technically optional, but genuinely where some of the best conversations happen.

A lesson we learnt from esteemed editors is, prioritise ruthlessly. Not every invitation needs a yes. And the ones that do are the ones where the room is both considered and insightful.

The Outfit Rotation:

We genuinely lead with Australian labels. Not as a rule we impose on ourselves, but because it genuinely makes sense. It’s a week that celebrates Australian fashion, so it feels right to dress accordingly.

There’s also something about wearing a Sydney designed label during the week that feels like a complete gesture. Like showing up in the right language.

When it comes down to it, Fashion Week days begin with a 10am show and rarely end before late evening dinners, making a trip home in between feel like a luxury of its own.

Our philosophy: always wear a considered and practical look that can be worn day to night.

Daytime shows call for something more editorial; structured, interesting, something that photographs well because let’s be honest, you will be photographed whether you plan for it or not.

By evening, we want to feel a little more dressed-up without looking like we’ve tried too hard. The transition usually involves a heel swap, change of bag and a sheer gloss touch up (if you have the luxury of a quick trip home in between).

And let’s remember, comfort will always evoke confidence – wear the heel that works as hard as you do!

The Nightcap Edit

The best conversations during Fashion Week happen after the lights go down, and Sydney delivers if you know where to go.

Our rotation this year looks something like this:

Clam Bar is for the effortless dinner where you’re guaranteed exceptional food, chic company and well appointed staff. It’s the ultimate spot post show and the cheeseburger will always deliver after a fast paced day.

Restaurant Hubert is the one we come back to most. Downstairs, candlelit, jazz playing. Perfect for a long post show debrief over a very good glass of red.

Grill Americano at Chifley Square is our new favourite. The steak is excellent. The atmosphere is better.

And Shell House for the nights that aren’t quite ready to end. Great cocktails, a beautiful view, and the kind of easy energy that makes you forget you have somewhere to be in the morning.