The Australian Fashion Industry Awards celebrate excellence in the apparel, footwear and accessories industries. Here are the winners and finalists, celebrated at a spectacular long lunch in Melbourne.
Marketing Campaign of the Year
Winner
Bonds – Made for Down Under
Iconic Australian brand Bonds has long been a staple in Aussie wardrobes, boasting 92% brand awareness locally and a century of history. As part of its next phase of growth, the brand set its sights on an ambitious new goal: cracking the US market, where it held zero recognition. With limited budget and tough competition, Bonds needed to act like a challenger brand—bold, memorable and uniquely Australian.
Enter “Made for Down Under,” a disruptive campaign built on a powerful cultural insight: Americans are fascinated by Australia’s deadly wildlife and laid-back people. The campaign flipped this paradox into a brand truth—Aussies stay calm thanks to their Bonds undies. Fronted by Robert Irwin, the campaign played with expectations, showcasing a grown-up Irwin calmly walking among real snakes, spiders and crocodiles in a single-shot film.
With creative tailored for youth audiences across the US East and West coasts, the campaign rolled out across YouTube, Prime Video, programmatic streaming, social media, digital audio and high-impact out-of-home.
The results were immediate and staggering. In just 24 hours, the campaign generated 9 billion earned media impressions and $58.2 million in media value, reaching outlets including People, Cosmopolitan and Fox News. TikTok views hit 267 million, making Bonds the #2 global trend. Paid media performance significantly outpaced benchmarks, and brand engagement soared.
“Made for Down Under” didn’t just launch a product—it sparked a cultural conversation and achieved cut-through in one of the world’s most competitive consumer markets.
Finalists
Hoka ANZ – FlyLab
Hoka pushed the borders of experiential marketing with the launch of Hoka FlyLab, engaging a range of media channels to execute the campaign across earned, paid, digital and content partnerships. It exceeded KPIs on customer visitation, media and influencer engagement.
July – Tested by Olympians
As the official luggage supplier for the Australian Olympic Team, July transformed the traditional supplier relationship into an organic-first marketing campaign. The social media-led strategy attracted 2.7 million organic video views and contributed to a sell-out suitcase collection.
Nala – Sorry to Offend You
The viral ‘Sorry To Offend You’ campaign by Nala not only promoted the launch of its maternity bra range, but took a stance against the stigma associated with public breastfeeding. The bra sold out within six weeks and generated 30 impactful media features in a single week.
Petal & Pup – Muse
To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, Petal & Pup executed a full-funnel, multi-channel marketing campaign across Australia and the United States. In the US, website sessions increased 52% year-on-year as a result, while Australia saw direct traffic rise 25% in just two months.
The Iconic – Got You Looking
The Iconic’s new masterbrand platform, ‘Got You Looking’ isn’t just a campaign—it’s a call to arms on brand distinctiveness. In addition to delivering the first active customer growth in five years, it halted a decline in unprompted awareness with a 34% year on year increase.
WeWearAustralian – WeWearAustralian Ed.4
WeWearAustralian has promoted local designers and generated commercial outcomes for 150 brands through a four-phase campaign. It involved a photoshoot, an online creative, a wholesale integration and a New York Fashion Week activation where $500,000 in wholesale orders were written live.
Sustainability Excellence Award
Winner
KMD Brands
In a landmark move, KMD Brands—parent company of Kathmandu, Rip Curl, and Oboz— has achieved and consistently championed Certified B Corporation status across all three brands, making it one of the few global multi-brand retail groups to reach this milestone. Far from a symbolic win, the certification marked a fundamental shift in how the Group operates, embedding high standards of social and environmental responsibility into every facet of the business.
B Corp provided a unifying framework to address critical environmental and governance challenges, guiding KMD Brands to refine its sustainability strategy, improve supply chain transparency and enhance accountability across operations. Key initiatives included launching end-to-end supply chain tracking systems, expanding human rights due diligence beyond Tier 1, scaling circular product programs, and implementing measurable climate targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Development has been both strategic and hands-on. The Group has rolled out end-to-end supply chain technology to strengthen supplier monitoring and traceability, while the Higg Index tools allow for deeper measurement of environmental and social performance across its value chain. ESG KPIs have been embedded into employee performance, while KMD Brands has also aligned its entire debt facility to sustainability outcomes through a Sustainability Linked Loan. Employee engagement and governance reform—including amending the corporate constitution—ensures the initiative is deeply embedded, not simply top-down.
The environmental impact has been wide-ranging: reductions in emissions, expansion of take-back and rental programs, enhanced chemical management, biodiversity projects, and traceability of 100% of Tier 1 factories. These efforts are supported by transparent reporting and supplier engagement through platforms like Open Supply Hub.
By achieving and championing B Corp certification across the Group, KMD Brands has transformed sustainability from a siloed function into a strategic driver of growth, innovation, and long-term resilience.
Finalists
APG & Co
APG & Co has delivered a ground-breaking transparency initiative by digitally mapping its global supply chain. The Sportscraft and SABA parent company has fully onboarded tier 1 suppliers, 95% of tier 2 suppliers and all known tier 3 suppliers.
Decjuba
Decjuba is targeting ambitious goals to drive down its carbon emissions. 700 tonnes of carbon have already been curbed as part of the strategy, with a target of 100% renewable energy use across all stores and offices by FY27.
eBay Australia
eBay Australia is funding solutions to the growing textile waste problem in Australia through its Circular Fashion Fund, in partnership with the Australian Fashion Council. It has awarded a total prize pool of $200,000 to three emerging businesses, bolstering a future circular economy.
Elk the label
Elk is extending the lifespan of its garments through take-back, resale, repair and recycling via its (RE)NEW circularity program. This includes a BlockTexx deal, with customers offered a $10 store credit for each re-saleable item returned. Over 1,000 units have been saved so far.
Emu Australia
Emu Australia is mastering sustainable practices within the production of its Australian-made Platinum collection. The brand is driving 30% less water waste through its eco-tan process, with its sheepskin boot being the first fully water-resistant boot made in Australia.
Maison de Sabré
Maison de Sabré has repurposed offcut leathers from its luxury bags and accessories into a zero-waste range of bag charms. Since launch, more than 150,000 of its customers own charms, transforming a by-product into a globally coveted product line.
Michael Hill
Michael Hill has launched a sustainability strategy that is reaping rewards across production and planet. This includes recycling more than six kilograms of gold through a take-back program in 2024, planting 142,868 trees and ensuring sourcing remains conflict-free.
“If you want to remain in this industry, or in any business, you’ve got to do something that gives you joy every day.”
Linda Penn
Lowes co-owner and CEO
Team of the Year
Winner
eBay
To accelerate growth in the circular fashion economy, eBay formed the Pre-loved Fashion Squad—a cross-functional team uniting category specialists with experts in marketing, brand, CRM, paid media and social. Their shared mission: drive sustained growth in pre-loved fashion Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) while cementing eBay’s leadership in recommerce.
The squad operates with agility and purpose, combining strategic alignment with integrated, high-impact execution. Weekly standups, quarterly planning, and structured campaign retrospectives ensure transparency, continuous improvement and shared accountability. Each team member serves as a champion of pre-loved fashion within their function, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.
In its first year, the squad returned eBay’s pre-loved fashion category to growth—outperforming the broader market. In Australia, a pre-loved dress now sells every 60 seconds with key brands including Zimmermann, Aje and Scanlan Theodore. The squad unlocked new inventory streams, including international stock from Japan, and activated high-performing moments during Australian Fashion Week.
Notable initiatives include a co-branded campaign with Oroton, integrated creator partnerships for TikTok and Instagram and strategic support for eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund—showcasing innovation in textile recycling and resale.
Facing a core challenge—encouraging more Australians to sell—the squad launched the campaign “Because Someone Wants It”, reframing selling as both profitable and purposeful. Through hyper-targeted paid media, viral social content (19M+ views), celebrity partnerships, and CRM offers, the campaign delivered on its KPIs.
The Pre-loved Fashion Squad exemplifies modern collaboration—leveraging creativity, data and team synergy to drive measurable results and reshape the future of fashion.
Finalists
Bonds
With a team of 24 spread across Melbourne and Bangkok, the Bonds marketing team spans brand, social, trade marketing and an in-house studio. Together, they’ve delivered high-impact campaigns including As Worn By Us, The UnGENderwear Project and Made for Down Under.
Decjuba
Decjuba’s CX team puts customer-first thinking at the core of every initiative, including the launch of a 100-style swimwear range online. By reimagining conversion, returns and community, the team drove a 177% year on year increase in swimwear sales during launch week.
Frankie4
Frankie4’s all-female fashion design team has expanded the brand’s reach – attracting fresh customers and entering international markets like Brazil. This growth is reflected in initiatives like the LuxaLite range, which has sold 12,500 units globally since its launch.
KMD Brands
KMD Brands’ ESG team is setting the benchmark for sustainability and governance – achieving group-wide B Corp certification, advancing climate targets, meeting circularity goals through product stewardship and embedding ESG performance into the company’s debt facility.
Strand
As Strand continues its strategic rebranding journey from Strandbags to Strand, its 20-person marketing team is driving results across brand and performance. This included a 14% increase in loyalty members last year and a double-digit boom in online revenue.
Trenery
The Trenery team has led one of the most successful brand transformations at Country Road Group, removing 59 days of discounting from the calendar this year to deliver full-price growth and new customer acquisitions.
Design Excellence Award
Winner
Camilla
The White Lotus x Camilla collection reimagined HBO’s cult series through the lens of Camilla’s signature design ethos. Anchored in a clear and strategic brief, the collection was designed to coincide with a season premiere, with the dual goal of driving brand visibility and commercial return across global markets.
Three bespoke prints—each inspired by the show’s iconic locations in Hawaii, Italy and Thailand—were developed in collaboration with illustrator Lezio Lopes, whose work is synonymous with the show’s opening credits. His original artwork was transformed into detailed prints through Camilla’s meticulous design process, blending hand-drawn elements with digital precision. The result: wearable, narrative-led art across kaftans, swimwear, dresses and loungewear.
Camilla’s craftsmanship elevated each garment, with hand embellishments, crystal detailing, and premium fabrics such as silk, linen, and jersey. Each silhouette was engineered to ensure optimal print placement, balancing theatricality with wearability to meet the needs of both loyal customers and new audiences.
Commercially, the collection exceeded expectations. In just nine weeks, it generated $2.49 million in sales and sold 5,575 units, with the standout Venus on a Vespa print alone contributing $1.1 million. Strong global partnerships—particularly with Saks Fifth Avenue—boosted pre-orders and sell-through.
Finalists
Carla Zampatti
Carla Zampatti marked its 60th anniversary with the launch of the Ubiquity collection, led by design director Tanya Emon Beattie. The range drew inspiration from the archives to reimagine the house’s signature silhouettes through a modern lens.
Frankie4
Frankie4’s LuxaLite collection was born from a clear challenge: to create high heels that could compete with fashion-first brands on shelf appeal. It introduced the brand to a younger demographic, with overall revenue in 25-34 age cohorts increasing by 31% year on year.
OTAA
OTAA’s Non-Iron collection diversified revenue beyond accessories, blending proprietary fabric treatment, data-led fit engineering and invisible tailoring into apparel. The range outperformed expectations, with top SKUs reaching 82% sell-through in just eight weeks.
Sheike
Born from a brief centred on modern structured ruffles and elevated daywear, Sheike’s SCALA capsule struck a chord with consumers. The autumn release delivered standout results, with hero dress styles achieving over 80% sell-through within the first four weeks of launch.
The Gamechanger Award
Winner
Emu Australia
At a time when almost all apparel and footwear production shifted offshore, Emu Australia defied convention—investing in, expanding and future-proofing its Geelong factory, one of the last vertically integrated footwear facilities in the country. The ambition wasn’t just to keep manufacturing local; it was to elevate it, proving Australian-made can compete globally on quality, agility, ethics and scale.
The strategy centred on people and modern capability. An intergenerational workforce—master shoemakers with 20+ years’ experience mentoring new recruits—formalised knowledge transfer so decades of craft aren’t lost. Across the floor, Emu upgraded clicking presses, specialist sewing lines, and heat-activated and sole-press machinery, lifting precision, consistency and efficiency while keeping hands-on craftsmanship at the core.
That investment comes to life in the Emu Platinum Collection, a premium, 100% Australian-made range produced entirely in Geelong. By controlling every stage—from raw sheepskin selection to the final stitch—Emu has redefined what local manufacturing can be: premium, agile, ethical and commercially viable.
The impact reaches far beyond the factory. Australian-made lines now account for 68% of Australian online revenue, while 89% of wholesale orders include Australian-made product. Shorter lead times, responsive runs and faster innovation cycles have reduced offshore dependency and built resilience through disruption.
What began as a commitment to protect local jobs has become a blueprint for modern Australian manufacturing: invest in people, place and process, pair craft with technology, and build a values-led, scalable model that can stand on a global stage. Emu’s Geelong facility isn’t a legacy play—it’s the engine of future growth, innovation and reputation for Australian-made footwear.
Finalists
eBay Australia
With counterfeit trade valued at $467 billion globally, eBay Australia’s Authenticity Guarantee addresses the issue head-on—routing eligible items through a dedicated authentication centre, where they undergo expert, multi-point inspection before reaching the buyer.
WeWearAustralian
WeWearAustralian is a national platform and movement that brings together over 150 Australian fashion brands to amplify storytelling, drive commercial growth and position Australian design on the global stage.
Michael Hill
Michael Hill is chasing two key ESG targets by 2030: planting one million trees and empowering 100,000 women. In the past year alone, the retailer helped plant 80,000 trees and donated $200,000 to women charities through product sales, directly supporting 16,000 women.
R.M.Williams
R.M. Williams is aiming to revive local fashion manufacturing capabilities, running community consultations nationwide with the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) this year. 110 participants have already taken part as the strategy prepares to scale and safeguard this $28 billion industry.
Strand
Under the visionary leadership of CEO Felicity McGahan, Strand has orchestrated a complete strategic repositioning of its brand and transformed nearly a century of retail heritage through four critical dimensions: brand, product, customer experience and retail reimagination.
The Volte
The Volte has scaled a digitally-driven, peer-to-peer business model for the rental market with 250,000 monthly users. The business is now eyeing global growth through retail integrations with the likes of David Jones and AI-powered personalisation tools.
Best Use of Technology
Winner
Decjuba
Faced with growing demand to adopt more circular business practices, fashion retailer Decjuba set out to launch a scalable, low-effort resale model that aligned with its ESG goals and customer expectations—without overhauling its core operations. The solution: a partnership with an early-stage fashion tech startup, to pilot a resale integration directly into Decjuba’s eCommerce platform.
The technology allows customers to relist previously purchased items in under 30 seconds via their order history. The tool automates the entire resale process—including pricing, listing, buyer comms, and shipping—on trusted marketplaces like eBay and Depop. Installed via a Shopify App in under 10 minutes and requiring zero additional headcount, the initiative eliminated typical resale complexities while offering a premium user experience.
The results speak volumes. Over 1,900 items resold, 24 tonnes of carbon emissions avoided, $70,000 returned to customers—and critically, users of the resale feature now shop 40% more frequently, with 89% making a repeat purchase from DECJUBA. Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with a 0.4% defect rate and over 600 glowing reviews.
Through a live dashboard, Decjuba has also gained access to resale market insights—such as top-resold products and customer preferences—previously unavailable to brands, supporting ESG reporting and strategic planning.
This initiative demonstrates how technology can deliver environmental value and commercial upside. It has positioned Decjuba as a leader in circular fashion and laid the foundation for future growth in the expanding resale economy.
Finalists
David Jones
David Jones’ game-changing mobile app was developed by a global team of 50 internal and external partners. Involving 15 testing groups, the app has increased conversion and AOV, improved shopping data and will integrate loyalty features in H2 2025.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is modernising its digital infrastructure to meet rising customer expectations and the demands of seasonal retail. In just 3.5 months, the brand has delivered an end-to-end eCommerce transformation – unlocking new growth and future-proofing the platform.
Rip Curl
Rip Curl has redefined how it connects with surf customers through its SearchGPS3 watch and iOS app. Since an app update in April, the platform has gained more than 3,000 new subscribers, logged over 51,000 sessions and tracked more than 193,000 waves.
St Frock
St Frock has rebuilt its tech stack as a unified, intelligent ecosystem to deliver emotionally aware, personalised fashion experiences at scale. The transformation has driven a monthly return customer rate of over 70%, with the loyalty program now also delivering 75% of total sales.
The Volte
The Volte has scaled a digitally-driven, peer-to-peer business model to capitalise on the growing rental market with 250,000 monthly users. The business is eyeing global growth through retail integrations with the likes of David Jones and AI-powered personalisation tools.
“Thank you for proving that the Australian fashion industry is not just alive, it’s thriving, evolving and leading the way.”
Colleen Callandar
former Sportsgirl CEO turned mentor
Best Store Design
Winner
Camilla
Camilla’s Hotel of Curiosity is a store design that transforms retail into a richly immersive brand experience. Designed to express the label’s DNA of storytelling, travel and craftsmanship, each boutique is a sensory journey—from the handmade shopfront tiling to custom inlaid brass floor totems and embellished lighting crafted by Camilla’s artisan partners in India.
The boutique is laid out as a four-part experiential narrative: check-in, exploration, indulgence, and celebration. Each space is anchored by distinctive design elements, including The CAMILLA Express—a bespoke train carriage installation featuring digital windows playing founder Camilla Franks’ real travel footage—and The Lobby Bar, a lavishly styled point-of-sale area where customers enjoy champagne while their purchases are prepared.
Materiality plays a central role throughout, with custom mosaic tiles, monogrammed carpets, hand-embellished tapestries, and global antiques curated by Franks herself. A Kids Circus area, complete with handmade dolls, extends the experience across generations.
The design has demonstrably increased like-for-like sales, dwell time and foot traffic, while user-generated content from visitors has helped extend brand awareness. The Hotel of Curiosity is more than a store—it’s a theatrical expression of Camilla’s creative universe. By blending high-concept design with commercial impact, the boutique exemplifies how physical retail can both enchant and perform.
Finalists
Country Road Home
Country Road has expanded its lifestyle footprint with its first standalone Home store, building on double-digit growth in the homewares category. Designed in collaboration with Kennedy Nolan, the space features intense neutrals, natural textures and Australian-made fixtures.
JD Sports ANZ
JD Sports’ Just Landed store blends digital screens and LED visuals with premium materials such as blond timber and Italian ceramic to create a sleek blueprint. The Highpoint flagship is seeing increased footfall, stronger conversion rates and growth in women’s and junior categories.
Kookai
Kookai’s Chadstone flagship is designed to meet the high expectations of a top-tier retail environment — with premium features like stylist call buttons, phone charging stations and a dedicated fitting concierge delivering a 41% increase in year on year revenue.
Sheike
Sheike identified a clear disconnect between its aspirational, feminine brand and the functional, busy in-store experience. Its new store design bridges that gap—introducing adjustable lighting zones, modern fixtures and immersive digital media.
Strand
Strand’s Bondi Junction flagship tackles the challenge of uniting 85 multi-brand ranges into a seamless, inspiring destination for style-focused travellers. The design uses modular fixtures, strategic brand zones and dynamic lighting to enhance discovery and flow.
Temple of the Sun
Expanding from Byron Bay to Paddington, Temple of the Sun’s new store maintains the brand’s core identity. Inspired by Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern, the space doubles as a retail showroom, appointment hub and immersive brand experience.
Best Place to Work
Winner
Frankie4
Frankie4 is a B Corp-certified, women-led brand that places people at the heart of its business.
Initiatives such as equal paid parental leave for all employees, a wellbeing incentive program encouraging healthy habits and an Employee Assistance Program offering confidential 24/7 support underpin this platform. Every salaried employee receives an annual volunteer day, supporting causes close to company values, alongside impactful fundraising through Frankie4 sock sales that have raised over $737,000 AUD for cancer research and family support charities.
Frankie4 also provides clear career pathways and continuous learning opportunities, from on-the-job training and mentoring to external courses and workshops. Annual performance reviews and transparent sharing of business goals ensure alignment and engagement, allowing team members to contribute meaningfully to both commercial and social success. Insights from regular internal and external surveys shape this evolving approach to leadership and development.
As a women-led business with a culturally diverse team, the brand also champions equity through measurable goals informed by ongoing surveys and confidential feedback channels. Together, these initiatives create a positive, high-performing workplace.
Finalists
Francesca Jewellery
Francesca Jewellery builds employee loyalty through milestone rewards like a diamond necklace at five years, extends paid maternity leave six weeks beyond government requirements and offers flexible return-to-work options.
Michael Hill
Michael Hill sustains a workforce engagement score above 80% by actively responding to employee feedback and rolling out support initiatives such as Perkbox, leadership training programs, paid volunteer leave and DEI-focused events.
Petal & Pup
Petal & Pup builds employee engagement through transparent town halls, individual development plans and a hybrid model that includes US team opportunities for short work stints in Australia. This includes inviting all US employees to join its 10th birthday celebration down under.
Hall of Fame
Linda Penn. CEO & Co-Owner, Lowes
Linda Penn is the CEO and co-owner of iconic Australian retailer Lowes. Since taking the reins in 2018 alongside her brother Jeffrey Mueller, Linda has led a transformative restructure of the business, helping drive the brand to record profitability while retaining its strong community roots.
Before joining the family business, Linda graduated from the University of New South Wales with a double degree in Law and Commerce. She began her career at Mallesons, specialising in corporate, commercial and IT law, before being encouraged by her father, Hans Mueller, to join Lowes with a view to succession. As marketing director, Linda reinvented the company’s marketing strategy, turning Lowes into one of the most recognised brands in the country and coining the now-iconic tagline: “At Lowes.”
Linda has also championed a powerful philanthropic vision inspired by her late father’s legacy. Her long-standing commitment to charity began with the Jeans for Genes initiative in 1998, and under her leadership, Lowes celebrated its 100-year anniversary by raising an extraordinary $350,000 for the Children’s Medical Research Institute. That partnership has now raised more than $2.35 million to help fund vital research into genetic conditions affecting children.
With over 200 stores nationwide, Lowes continues to leverage its national footprint to support grassroots fundraising and community engagement. Linda remains committed to building a business that not only performs commercially but uplifts the communities it serves.
Linda Penn shares her top three lessons in building a fashion empire.
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