By the time guests climbed the stairs to Elizabeth Bay House on Thursday evening, Nicol & Ford had already transformed one of Sydney’s most austere colonial homes into something brimming with an intimate glamour. For their fifth consecutive Australian Fashion Week runway show, the designers took Australian artist Adrian Feint as their starting point, building on a long-held admiration for his vibrant florals, and creating a beautifully coded love letter to fantasy, performance and queer survival.

“Feint’s colour and form brought a kind of openness and joy,” founders Katie-Louise and Lilian Nicol-Ford told GRAZIA before the show, and you could feel that exuberance ripple through the rooms. Making their way down an ornate staircase, models drifted through the historic house in sculptural pannier gowns, draped chiffon and hand-painted silks, weaving between floral installations by Date Night Studio while the scent of Tsu Lange Yor’s orchid-and-galbanum fragrance, designed especially for the show, lingered in the air.

The clothes themselves masterfully balanced grandeur with eccentricity, bringing together the designers’ passion for art history and forgotten figures of resistance. Natasha Walsh’s extraordinary oil-painted gowns, which were developed through research into Feint’s handwritten patron ledgers at the State Library of NSW, were an especially compelling element. “Bringing [Walsh] into the process introduced a material language that felt entirely new to us,” noted Nicol-Ford. “We learned a great deal through that collaboration, even as it pushed and challenged how we usually work.”

Within Feint, florals not only nodded to Feint’s surrealist botanical fantasies but also took symbols once used to mark persecution in queer history and transformed them into expressions of defiance. With each look circulating the salon, a character of epic poise offered guests a close-up of what could only have been achieved with painstaking artistry and a host of talented collaborators.

Gloriously styled by Miguel Urbina Tan, Murano-glass bags, Julian Dimase’s surreal prosthetics, Phoebe Hyles’ millinery and Tobias Sangkuhl’s metalwork pushed the collection into deliciously theatrical territory. And, as expected, the beauty proved as much a highlight as the clothes, with hair creations by John Pulitano for Original & Mineral, nails by Libby May, and Pinky (Nicole Thompson) for MAC.

In their trusted hands, beauty and camp became something more tender, made palpable by a cast that truly reflected the community Nicol & Ford has nurtured.

“It feels like a lighter chapter for us,” the designers explained, “one that makes space for humour, beauty and resilience alongside the histories that continue to shape the work.”

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By day three of Australian Fashion Week, momentum was still alive and well. Wednesday’s schedule leaned heavily into texture, tactility and clothes designed to showcase fabrication.

At ESSE, we saw a masterclass in restrained dressing, proving that precision and polish can still feel warm and accessible. Elsewhere, NAGNATA transformed a Darlinghurst warehouse into an immersive ode to fibre, movement and spirituality, complete with dancers, wool bales and the debut of the brand’s first-ever bags.

What emerged across the day was a broader shift within Australian fashion towards intentionality. Whether through craftsmanship, sustainability, or simply a sharper sense of identity, these designers seemed less interested in chasing trends and more focused on offering something that endures.

Read on for our favourite shows from the day.

AFW DAY THREE

ESSE

With no shortage of clothing in the world, ESSE Studios showed us what it means to dress with intention. For her latest presentation, The ESSE Editions, founder Charlotte Hicks rejected the noise and churn of trend culture in favour of something more enduring: clothes designed to actually live in.

Hicks described the collection as a response to fashion’s obsession with speed and visibility, drawing inspiration from the dandy’s relationship to restraint and control. That thinking carried through every element of the show. The room itself was pared back, with Jessica Steuart-Hoyler‘s elegant styling and Yu Mei’s timeless accessories allowing the precision of the clothes to take focus. Tailoring was elongated and structured without feeling severe; draped jersey, fluid separates, and sharply cut outerwear moved with assurance.

What made the collection resonate was its clarity of purpose. Rather than delivering disconnected runway moments aimed at pleasing the shifting masses, Hicks approached the lineup as an evolving wardrobe system in which pieces are designed to build upon one another over time. “Nothing exists without purpose,” she told GRAZIA. “At the centre of it all is the woman herself, not as a character, but as a presence. Everything is considered in relation to her, the way she moves, the way she holds herself and the space she occupies.”

NAGNATA

In a sunlit studio in Darlinghurst, NAGNATA turned a raw space into a runway for the unveiling of Movement 21, titled FUTURE = FIBRE. With this collection, co-founder Laura May Gibbs expanded the brand’s ongoing conversation about natural materials, grounding it in the idea that “what we put on our skin matters”, she explained to GRAZIA.

The show opened with dancers moving through the space in hypnotic repetition, activating the seamless knitwear through stretches, spirals and flowing gestures as Gary Sinclair’s meditative soundscape pulsed around the room. Wool bales stamped with Nagnata mantras lined the set, reinforcing the collection’s focus on fibre, tactility and connection to the planet.

On the runway, the label’s signature studio-to-street codes evolved into something sharper and more refined, but still just as effortless. Knit tailoring softened traditional structure, vegetable-dyed denim added texture and depth, while layered ribbed separates and jerseys retained the ease that has become central to the brand’s appeal. Keeping with this sentiment, EVERAU footwear grounded the looks with a relaxed practicality that complemented the collection’s quietly earthy mood.

Perhaps the most notable development, however, was the introduction of NAGNATA bags. Crafted in denim and designed with the same focus on longevity and material consciousness as the clothing, the latest offering felt like a natural extension of the brand’s growing universe.

The post AFW DAY THREE: ESSE, Nagnata & More Reimagine Modern Wardrobe Essentials appeared first on Grazia.

Jonathan Anderson’s Dior era is barely out of the gate, yet already it feels impossible to look away. Today in Los Angeles, the Irish designer unveils his first Cruise collection for the maison. Having already tackled ready-to-wear and Haute Couture debuts with aplomb, this show is poised to further piece together his vision for one of fashion’s most storied houses.

The setting alone suggests drama. Staged at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art against the newly unveiled David Geffen Galleries by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, the presentation places Anderson’s Dior in dialogue with art, architecture and Hollywood mythology all at once. Fitting, perhaps, for a designer whose work has always thrived on marrying concept with artistry.

Since taking on one of fashion’s most influential creative roles, Anderson has approached Dior with a steady confidence. From his Spring/Summer 2026 debut in Paris to his inaugural turn on the Haute Couture schedule, he has been lauded by new fans and Dior purists alike. Now, with Los Angeles as his backdrop and an Alfred Hitchcock-inflected teaser starring Alison Oliver already fuelling anticipation, Cruise 2027 promises another compelling chapter.

Watch the teaser and catch Dior Cruise 2027 show live from Los Angeles below.

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Spread across Sydney, day two of Australian Fashion Week saw designers explore contrasts of softness and structure, and nostalgia and futurism—sometimes within the same look. Beginning with some dramatic weather at COMMAS‘ early seaside presentation, the day was abuzz from sunrise to sunset.

If the opening day established a renewed sense of confidence in Australian fashion, Tuesday’s packed schedule proved that designers, both veteran and emerging, have so much more to offer.

From fluid tailoring and sculptural silhouettes at Bianca Spender that floated through an industrial warehouse installation to Aje’s powder-pink runway in the heart of the city, and Courtney Zheng’s triumphant solo debut, the day was a testament to the spectrum of creativity and craft of local labels.

Read on for the full runway reports from Day Two of Australian Fashion Week 2026.

AFW DAY TWO

Bianca Spender

For Resort 2027, Bianca Spender presented a collection steeped in subtle drama. Staged within a raw industrial warehouse softened by Lauren Brincat’s suspended parachute installation, the show explored the tension between structure and surrender.

Prior to the show, Spender described the collection as an exploration of “quiet rebellion”, and there was something deeply appealing about the restraint of it all, where movement, proportion and texture spoke for themselves. Tailored column silhouettes dissolved into liquid organza; crisp suiting softened against chiffon and parachute nylon; sculptural funnel necklines framed the body without ever restricting it. Clothes either delicately hugged the body or seemed to ethereally hover over it. But whether it floated, shifted or billowed, the intention behind it was palpable.

What made the collection particularly persuasive was its balance of conceptual intrigue and genuine wearability. Even the more architectural pieces, such as bubble hems, wrapped faux-leather necklines, and sheer dresses, retained an ease that felt entirely modern. Primed for real wardrobes and real lives.

In Spender’s hands, fluidity became less an aesthetic choice than a philosophy, one where vision and engineering converge with flawless execution.

Courtney Zheng

After last year’s turn within The Frontier, Courtney Zheng marked a milestone by staging her first standalone show during day two of AFW. Titled Beauty as Resistance, the Resort ’27 collection drew heavily from the Sydney designer’s memories of queer nightlife, live music and the creative communities that shaped her early twenties. Beyond its aesthetic allure, it’s a world, Zheng explained, defined by “carelessness and rebellion”.

That spirit ran through the collection with a cohesion that solidified Zheng as a force of Australian fashion. Kicking off with lace-up, club-ready minis plucked straight from Y2K moodboards, the runway demonstrated a bold evolution of her signature fluid tailoring. With sheer chiffon gowns disrupted by distressed denim, heavy silver hardware, and dramatic silhouettes that effortlessly jumped between decades, the result was a wardrobe that balanced romance with grit. There was a lived-in sensuality to the clothes, as though each look already carried stories from a long night out. Bridie Gilbert’s styling sharpened that mood further, layering moto references and vintage-inspired pieces with an instinctive looseness that made the collection feel inhabited rather than something overly constructed.

“I wanted the runway to feel like a cast of characters,” Zheng said prior to the show, and it did exactly that. Models included friends of the brand, and moved through the space with cinematic nonchalance, including an expanded unisex offering—a creative shift Zheng described as “refreshing”.

With her solo debut, Courtney Zheng offered a portrait of community, celebrating the people and places that inspire us.

Aje

Down the road from the MCA grounds, Aje transformed The Lands by Capella into a rose-tinted fever dream, where everything from the plush carpet to the walls was washed in soft pink hues. Apty named Siren, the brand’s Resort 2027 collection, was inspired by the shifting moods and textures of the Australian landscape and evoked the same awe.

Rather than leaning into the more obvious Australiana, founders Adrian Norris and Edwina Forest approached the idea with a lighter touch, exploring the interplay between ruggedness and romance through fabric and silhouette. Sculptural draping curved around the body in waves, sheer organza floated in airy volumes, while sequinned separates and tassel detailing brought a sense of whimsy with every step. Elsewhere, vegan leather and suede added weight and sharpness, grounding the collection’s softer moments with a subtle toughness.

After nearly two decades in business, what Aje continues to do particularly well is make occasionwear feel relaxed rather than contrived. Even the more dramatic dresses retained a sense of ease and play, styled with the kind of polished nonchalance and irreverent spirit that keeps global audiences flocking to Aussie brands.

Hansen & Gretel

At the Museum of Contemporary Art, Hansen & Gretel brought a slice of the South Coast to Sydney Harbour, sans the travel. For Resort ’26, titled TIDE, creative director Ainsley Hansen looked to the ocean rhythms and surf culture of her beachside upbringing, translating them into a collection that felt breezy, tactile and casually seductive.

The set quite literally leaned into the theme: ice sculptures embedded with shells and starfish lining the runway, while Gary Sinclair’s immersive soundscape ebbed and swelled like distant waves. But the collection avoided veering into costume territory thanks to its easy confidence. Ombré silk gowns shifted from shell-pink to deep mauve like the sky at dusk, washed denim came scattered with mother-of-pearl appliqué, and airy broderie pieces captured that specific feeling of throwing something on after a late-afternoon dip.

There was a softness running throughout, though not without edge. Hansen & Gretel’s signature “femininity with bite” appeared in slinky cuts, oversized accessories and crystal embellishments. The overall effect was less mermaid fantasy, more beachside nostalgia translated with a grown-up sensibility.

Alix Higgins

Celebrating six years of his namesake label—and his fifth season at AFW—the Sydney designer leaned further into the beautifully chaotic visual language that has made his work feel so singular within Australian fashion right now.

“I wanted to make something from the past,” Higgins told GRAZIA of his inspiration, though nothing here felt nostalgic in the traditional sense. Historical porcelain florals sourced from museum archives and eBay listings were digitally warped into hyper-saturated prints that appeared glitched, sampled and glowy. Working with longtime friend Daniel Faust, Higgins also created what he described as an “impossible beach”, a video-game-like print that turned paradise into something uncanny and surreal.

The clothes themselves moved between sincerity and irony with ease, as is Higgins’ gift. Colour-blocked jersey dresses, upcycled polo skirts and draped printed silks collided with Pandora charms, Nothing headphones, and smoky, teased Gibson Girl beauty looks. It shouldn’t have worked, but somehow it absolutely did.

There’s often a temptation to over-intellectualise Higgins’ work. In reality, its power lies in emotion, instinct and world-building. This season felt sharper, stranger and more self-assured than ever. In fashion, taste and skill will get you far, but it’s Higgins’ knack for world-building that pulls everyone in, and cemented him as a pillar of Australia’s new frontier of design.

The post AFW DAY TWO: COMMAS, Bianca Spender, Courtney Zheng & More appeared first on Grazia.

Australian Fashion Week 2026 has officially kicked off with an epic lineup of local talent.

Returning with a new address, there was a fresh sense of momentum in the air, and an idyllic vista to match. For the first time, the festivities unfolded at the Museum of Contemporary Art, where the harbour shimmered in the background and editors, buyers, creators and models darted between shows beneath increasingly ominous clouds.

The week began with a moving Welcome to Country ceremony, grounding the proceedings in reflection and community before the fashion crowd launched headfirst into a packed schedule of runway debuts and long-awaited returns. Inside venues across Circular Quay and the CBD, designers leaned into craft and storytelling, from Toni Maticevski’s sculptural salon presentation to Beare Park’s sensual tailoring.

By evening, some dramatic weather had finally arrived just in time for Carla Zampatti’s closing show, where Shanina Shaik strode through the drizzle with the kind of glamour that rain can’t dampen. If day one proved anything, it’s that Australian fashion is entering an exciting new era.

Read on and watch this space for GRAZIA‘s show dispatches throughout the week.

AFW 2026 DAY ONE

Maticevski

Ten years after his last on-schedule appearance at Australian Fashion Week, Toni Maticevski made an irreverent return on day one. Staged inside The Collider in Haymarket, and opened by Gemma Ward, the designer’s Winter 2026 presentation offered an intimate look at 23 ornate looks, with guests brought close enough to appreciate every sculptural fold, floating frill and feat of construction.

For Maticevski, inspiration didn’t begin with a singular reference point. Instead, the collection emerged from an ongoing exploration of silhouette, fabrication, and technique that has defined the house’s two-decade visual language. “The mood often begins with fabric and colour; they create a feeling and shape in my mind, which slowly takes form as the collection develops,” he told GRAZIA ahead of the show. “There is also an interplay of motifs and textures I’ve explored throughout the last twenty years, leaf motifs transformed into fringes, layered volumes and exaggerated proportions… Ultimately, it becomes a meeting point between the realities of modern wearability and a more fantastical, fairytale sense of dreaming.”

And there was certainly fantasy here, albeit the controlled kind. A layered all-white look with cascading organza evoked bridal ether without ever tipping into saccharine territory, while one of the closing looks appeared to hover around the body entirely untethered from gravity.

Yet beneath the theatricality was remarkable precision. With every drape, shimmer, and exaggerated proportion, there was purpose. Perhaps, after a long absence, that is what made the show feel so resonant. In returning to the AFW schedule, Maticevski wasn’t attempting to keep up, but rather, reintroduce us to his own world, trusting in its enduring originality.

Beare Park

Presented within the soaring curves of the Sydney Opera House, where the brand first debuted five years ago, Beare Park’s Pre-Fall 2026 collection channelled the aching romanticism of Sinéad O’Connor’s ‘In This Heart’, conjuring a wardrobe that felt intimate, intelligent and self-assured. Impeccably styled by Nicchia Wippell, the collection exuded a palpable sense of confidence in each look. Every detail was given thorough consideration, executed with the effortless polish we’ve come to expect from the designer.

For this season, founder Gabriella Pereira explored devotion as both a feeling and a discipline, translating personal transformation into elongated tailoring, liquid draping, and silhouettes that moved with sensual ease. Crisp cotton shirting was softened by translucent silk layers, while metallic ash dupion caught the light like smoke and outerwear made for the ultimate statement. A palette of burnt sienna, tobacco, ivory and near-black nightshade only heightened the mood.

What continues to distinguish Beare Park is its ability to make restraint feel seductive. Even the most dramatic proportions retained an ease to them, as though the wearer had simply thrown on an impeccably cut floor-length coat before slipping out the door.

In a sweet gesture, Pereira included a detailed directory of the local makers and suppliers behind the collection, spotlighting the Australian artisans and craftspeople integral to the brand’s process. At a time when fashion often speaks vaguely about “craft”, Beare Park chose specificity—and all the better for it.

The post AFW DAY ONE: MATICEVSKI & Beare Park Make Their Respective Returns appeared first on Grazia.

Influence, as any seasoned observer of culture will tell you, isn’t always loud, but at the 2026 Time100 Gala, it certainly was. On Thursday evening in New York City, the world’s most compelling figures gathered at Jazz at Lincoln Centre for the annual celebration of Time magazine’s definitive list of leaders, innovators, and icons, marking the event’s 20th anniversary with a guest list that served as a living snapshot of the global zeitgeist.

As actors, activists, musicians, and industry disruptors mingled with one another, they proved that power dressing can take many forms. Honourees, including Alan Cumming, Keke Palmer, Kate Hudson, and Sterling K. Brown, stepped out alongside fellow cultural heavyweights, each bringing their own personal style to the red carpet. Hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, with performances by Coco Jones and Luke Combs, the evening’s sense of occasion was a welcome throwback to awards season.

As Time editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs noted in his letter to readers, influence resists easy measurement. But we think the style tends to speak for itself. From Dakota Johnson’s ethereal Valentino to Jennie Kim’s sculptural Schiaparelli, here are all the best looks from the red carpet.

2026 Time 100 Gala red carpet

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Last August, Zoë Kravitz, 37, and Harry Styles, 32, set the internet ablaze with a casual stroll abroad that hard-launched their romance. Though it’s unclear when the duo first connected, it seems they may already be on the way down the aisle, if a recent outing is anything to go by.

On April 21, 2026, the couple were photographed out and about in London when fans noticed that Kravitz was sporting a massive diamond on her ring finger. In the images published by The Sun, the duo are dressed casually, sipping matcha and coffee.

While nothing has been confirmed, the ring is a fairly strong indicator that a proposal has transpired.

Following their debut, a fan-shot video (see here) captured the duo walking arm-in-arm through the cobbled streets of Rome, both incognito, wearing dark sunglasses and discreet baseball caps—a coordinated look they’ve since maintained as their signature. The actress was also wearing a white mini dress and black ballet flats, while Styles wore a blue chore jacket, jeans and Dries Van Noten sneakers.

Though not much else was captured—not even enough for Internet lip-readers—their ease in each other’s company felt telling.

Kravitz was in the midst of her global press tour for her film, Caught Stealing, while Styles had been enjoying a summer of his own romantic headlines: from a Glastonbury kiss with a mystery woman in June to reported festival flirtations with producer Ella Kenny, following his split from Taylor Russell earlier that year in May.

Since then, the duo have been spotted engaging in some light PDA around the world, not shying away from photographers. And according to a source, the actress believes the singer is her “soulmate”.

According to Page Six, Kravitz has been telling her inner circle that things are very deep between the two, and that the relationship “feels different” to her others.

Last year, an insider also suggested to the outlet that the feeling was mutual.

“It’s so hard to date as a celebrity,” they said. “Harry wouldn’t have gone public with Zoë if it wasn’t anything.”

Adding further intrigue to this development is Kravitz’s called-off engagement to Channing Tatum, and her long-standing friendship with Taylor Swift, who famously dated Styles during her Red album era in 2012.

Kravitz herself recently praised Swift’s upcoming The Life of a Showgirl album as “fantastic, no skips,” suggesting the bond between the two still stands, which makes her arm-in-arm moment with Styles all the more compelling.

Since splitting with Tatum, Kravitz has also been rumoured to be dating Noah Centineo following multiple sightings of the two together in New York City, but neither party has commented on their relationship.

The post Zoë Kravitz & Harry Styles Spark Engagement Rumours With Sizeable Clue appeared first on Grazia.

Headlines of sequels, prequels and remakes are fairly run-of-the-mill these days, but one project we can absolutely get on board with is the return of Practical Magic.

Starring the original Owens sisters, Nicole Kidman, and Sandra Bullock, part two of the witchy dramedy was confirmed back in 2024 by  Warner Bros., which produced the original 1998 flick. And as of today, it seems the wait is almost over, as we have the first official trailer for the sequel!

While it’s unclear if Evan Rachel Wood and Camilla Belle, who starred as younger versions of the sisters in the original film, will return, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest have reprised their roles as the sisters’ aunts, per the trailer.

Also joining the cast are Maisie Williams, Joey King, Lee Pace and Xolo Maridueña.

Directed by Griffin Dunne—who just so happens to be the nephew of Joan Didion—Practical Magic was adapted from the 1995 novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman.

The story follows sisters Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman), who, after losing their parents, are raised by their aunties—played by Channing and Wiest—to fulfil their inherited supernatural capabilities. Like many others, the two are navigating a family curse passed down, which inhibits them from forming healthy romantic relationships. When one of those flings turns dangerous for Gillian, the women must tap into their craft to be liberated.

Though the film itself wasn’t a critical triumph, it’s grown into a cult classic over the years, most notably for its endless sartorial, beauty, and even interior inspiration. Between Gillian’s 90s blowout, Sally’s effortless style and the rustic-whimsy appeal of the house they reside in, it makes for moodboard catnip.

Back in 2019, it was reported that HBO Max was pursuing a Practical Magic spinoff series titled Rules of Magic, based on Hoffman’s prequel novel. Nothing ever came to fruition, but this news feels much more promising.

Watch the full trailer below.

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