Australian Fashion Council

What Australian Fashion Council does

The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) is the national peak body for Australia's fashion and textile industry, formed in 2014 through the merger of the Australian Fashion Chamber and the Council of Textile and Fashion, and representing a sector that has existed in organized form for over 70 years. The organization operates as a not-for-profit, membership-based entity headquartered in Sydney, providing industry-wide advocacy, policy representation, education, and program delivery on behalf of Australian-founded or majority-owned businesses involved in producing fabric, clothing, footwear, and accessories. Its core programs include Australian Fashion Week (the national trade platform), the National Manufacturing Strategy developed with R.M. Williams, the Seamless National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme (now an independent entity targeting clothing circularity by 2030), the Global Gateways three-year export program, the Australian Clothing Smart Factory initiative with Epson, FashTech Lab (digital sampling innovation), AFC Academy (workforce education), and the Indigenous Fashion Fund.

AFC generates revenue primarily through recurring annual and monthly membership subscriptions processed via PayPal, supplemented by tax-deductible donations enabled by its Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status (ABN 57 167 225 774) and program-specific grants and partner funding. Its member ecosystem spans large Australian enterprises (David Jones, R.M. Williams, Afterpay, Cotton On, THE ICONIC, Big W, Country Road, Zimmermann, Lorna Jane), manufacturers, educational institutions (RMIT, UTS, TAFE NSW), and government partners (Austrade, Destination NSW, Create NSW, CSIRO). The organization employs fewer than 10 staff and distributes its services through a website (ausfashioncouncil.com) with a member-only portal, social channels, industry events, export missions, and policy submissions to government.

Name

Australian Fashion Council

Legal name

Australian Fashion Council Ltd

Website

https://ausfashioncouncil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Australian Fashion Council is the national peak body for Australia's fashion and textile industry, providing membership-based advocacy, education, export support, and flagship programs including Australian Fashion Week, the National Manufacturing Strategy, and the Seamless circularity stewardship scheme to Australian-founded fashion and textile businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: AFC generates revenue through membership fees paid annually or monthly via PayPal. Members receive access to exclusive benefits including the website, platform, social media groups, AFC Materials, membership benefits, and connections with other AFC community members. The membership auto-renews annually unless terminated.
2. Donations: The Australian Fashion Council accepts tax-deductible donations as a registered Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) with the Australian Taxation Office (ABN 57 167 225 774). Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible in Australia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) is the peak industry body and not-for-profit organization for the Australian fashion and textile industry. It delivers industry advocacy, government representation, member services, flagship events (Australian Fashion Week), export programs (Global Gateways), industry awards, education (AFC Academy), circular economy initiatives (Seamless), and an industry directory. Members include fashion brands, manufacturers, retailers, and service providers across the textile, clothing, and footwear sector.

Product overview

The Australian Fashion Council operates as a membership-based industry organization offering a portfolio of programs and services for the Australian fashion and textile industry. Core offerings include Australian Fashion Week (annual trade event), the National Manufacturing Strategy (with R.M. Williams partnership), Australian Fashion Awards, and the Global Gateways export program. The AFC runs specialized initiatives including Seamless (National Clothing Stewardship Scheme for circularity by 2030), FashTech Lab (digital sampling innovation), AFC Academy (education), and the Indigenous Fashion Fund. Additional services include an industry directory, member toolkits and resources, government advocacy, and policy development. The organization serves as the peak body representing a $27.2 billion industry employing 500,000 workers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Australian Fashion Week: AFW is Australia's national platform for international trade and export engagement, showcasing Australian design and creative excellence to global buyers, partners and media.
• AFC Global Gateways
• AFC Australian Clothing Smart Factory
• AFC Academy
• Seamless

Products and services

• Australian Fashion Week (AFW)

Quantifiable outcome

• Industry contributes $27.2 billion to Australian economy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Austrade Trade Diversification NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026AFC joined Austrade's Trade Diversification Network (TDN), part of the $50 million Accessing New Markets Initiative. The partnership helps AFC advance international markets for the sector through the Global Gateways program and tailored export initiatives.
• Seamless National Clothing Stewardship SchemecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2023Seamless is a national clothing product stewardship scheme led by AFC and major brands (David Jones, Big W, The ICONIC, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, R.M. Williams, Sussan Group, Cotton On) aiming to achieve clothing circularity by 2030. The scheme transitioned to an independent not-for-profit organization in 2023.
• eBay AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnereBay is a strategic partner of AFC, collaborating on the Circular Fashion Fund which provides funding and mentoring to Australian circular fashion businesses. eBay has provided $200,000 in funding through this initiative and supports AFC programs and events.
• R.M. WilliamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerR.M. Williams partnered with AFC to develop Australia's first-ever National Manufacturing Strategy for the fashion and textile industry. This landmark partnership aims to rebuild domestic manufacturing capability across the TCF sector.
• AfterpaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfterpay is a strategic partner and patron member of AFC, supporting the organization's initiatives and programs for the Australian fashion industry.
• Epson AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpson is a strategic partner collaborating with AFC on the Australian Clothing Smart Factory initiative and the Meet the Makers program at Australian Fashion Week. They are also developing a Smart Factory Blueprint powered by AI and digital technologies.
• Destination NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination NSW is a strategic partner supporting Australian Fashion Week 2026, announced as the new home of the event at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
• Create NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreate NSW supports AFC's Paris showroom initiative for Paris Fashion Week 2026, providing funding through the Accessing New Markets Initiative.
• CSIROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC joined the CSIRO Chief Scientist Expert Advisory Group, providing an opportunity to represent the fashion industry and offer guidance on national challenges and opportunities.
• University of Technology SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC collaborated with UTS on the 'Advancing a Creative Industries Precinct for Sydney' report alongside the Powerhouse Museum and TAFE NSW to explore innovation ecosystem potential.
• RMITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC partners with RMIT on various initiatives including the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion & Textiles, Melbourne Fashion Week programming, and circular fashion design research.
• Marque LawyerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarque Lawyers is a patron member and strategic partner providing legal expertise to support AFC initiatives and member services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA): US not-for-profit trade association for fashion designers. Comparable to AFC as a national membership body that advocates for designers, runs awards, and facilitates industry programs in a major English-speaking market.
• British Fashion Council: UK peak body for the fashion industry that organizes London Fashion Week and runs industry programs. Directly comparable to AFC as a national fashion industry association with event ownership, advocacy, and member services functions.

Broad incumbents

• Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana: Italian National Fashion Chamber that runs Milan Fashion Week. Comparable to AFC as a national fashion industry association organizing flagship trade events and representing Italian brands internationally.
• Japan Fashion Council: Japanese fashion industry body affiliated with government and industry stakeholders. Comparable to AFC in its industry advocacy and trade event role, though operating in a much larger domestic apparel market.
• Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM): French fashion governing body that organizes Paris Fashion Week. Comparable to AFC as a national peak body owning flagship fashion events, though operating in a far larger luxury market with materially different scale.

Regional players

• NZ Fashion Council: New Zealand peak body for the fashion industry. Most directly comparable peer in terms of market size, geographic proximity, and industry structure (small domestic market, export-oriented brands, manufacturing transition challenges).
• Singapore Fashion Council: Singapore's fashion industry association. Comparable to AFC as a small-market, export-focused national peak body operating in the Asia-Pacific region with similar government partnership models.

Others

• Council of Textile and Fashion Industry of Australia: Predecessor organization that merged with the Australian Fashion Chamber in 2014 to form the current AFC. Historically a peer entity; the data confirms the 2014 merger, making this a relevant contextual reference rather than an active peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Ausfashioncouncil
• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/ausfashioncouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/ausfashioncouncil
• Xx.com/ausfashcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Fashion Council