All The Notable Runway Moments From Brisbane Fashion Festival 2026
thats a wrap
By Victoria Lewis | 28th August 2026As the curtain falls on Brisbane Fashion Festival‘s 21st year, we can’t help but reminisce on the week that was. This year, the proceedings reached new heights: a standalone Carla Zampatti show headlined by Montana Cox, Brisbane’s class-act cohort of next-gen talent, and local heavyweights debuting their Spring/Summer collections were just a few examples of the fashion antics that kept us occupied.
So, in case you missed it, here are a few of the most notable moments that graced the runway of Brisbane Fashion Festival 2026. Let the show begin.
W Brisbane Fashion Show
Highlighting the latest looks from established local designers alongside national heavyweights, the W Brisbane Fashion Show showed us all that spring fashion is arriving in full force, embracing colour, pattern play, and unexpected layering. Standouts included Pamela Easton’s skilful styling, where handprinted fabric and a unique design eye left us feeling both inspiration and admiration for the legacy brand. Silk Laundry’s excessive layering and contemporary florals also has us taking notes, while Camargue’s curation of coveted international designers was the embodiment of “cool but chic”. And of course, Gary Bigeni’s colourful collection of hand-dyed garments inspired us to take up dopamine dressing once and for all.
Brisbane City’s finest shopping destinations also showed us what they were made of, with collections from Wintergarden and Queensplaza forecasting bold prints, neck ties, and slinky cocktail looks are to take over spring dressing. Meanwhile in menswear, showings from Edward Street’s Mitchell Ogilvie and MJ Bale offered everything from elevated daytime dressing to a relaxed take on suiting, where polos paired with blazers and chinos were put back with sneakers – a fresh look for the fellas.
Carla Zampatti Runway
In a first for Brisbane Fashion Festival, Tuesday night saw national treasure Carla Zampatti take over the Brisbane City Hall tent for a standalone runway where over 50 looks dazzled a local audience. The collection by the leading womenswear label showed off it’s usual design flare, hallmarked by refinement, subtle sexiness, and high-end craftsmanship. Here, heavy silks, feather motifs, and jewel tones – ruby reds, golden yellows, and vibrant pinks – were elevated by sleek styling and impeccable tailoring. Silk suiting moved like liquid, feathered outerwear added volume, and lenses by Specsavers gave the looks a contemporary edge.
Kylie Minogue’s sultry “Slow” set the tone for the show bookended by Carla Zampatti’s muse Montana Cox, where long capes brought drama, beaded embellishments added a high-shine edge, and each sleek evening-ready look was a mental add-to-cart moment. This Spring ’26 collection is truly Carla Zampatti in it’s element, a transseasonal look book perfectly suited to a sophisticated Queensland springtime.
Hancock Prospecting Next Gen Group Show
This year’s next-gen class really showed up and showed out. In what was possibly the most varied show of the week, the Hancock Prospecting Next-Gen Group Show was a symphony of innovation, sustainability, and avant-guard aesthetics.
Among the 2026 cohort was recent National Indigenous Fashion award winner Delvene Cockatoo Collins with a collection of wearable art: handcrafted looks made with her signature weaving technique and connection to Country. Also in the mix were new labels HAKS with an oh-so-elevated ensemble of relaxed unisex tailoring, and tennis-inspired label Forty Love with looks that took “off-court” chic to new heights.
Young talent from local institutions QUT and TAFE also earned their stripes down the runway this year. Not only did current students impress with innovative silhouettes and boundary-pushing looks, but three 2025 graduates reunited for on the BFF stage, debuting solo collections with their brands ASTERIA, Fell From Grace, and Alexandr.Murray. ASTERIA, who graced the runway themselves, treated guests to an all-white collection that was a masterclass in corsetry, while Alexandr. Murray’s intricate pleating set the stage for bewitching performance art. Fell From Grace also added gothic undertones to the show with a collection inspired by Victorian-era funeral wear.
Designer Group Show
Last but certainly not least, opening Thursday night’s showcase was Joteo, a brand with budding courier Joash at the helm. Marking his 6th appearance in the festival’s program, having began his BFF career as part of the next-Gen show in 2021, Joash built on his winning formula of awe-inspiring silhouettes and sultry formalwear. With a knack for designing for a woman’s body, his latest showing was a masterful display of sculptural evening gowns, exaggerated contours, and intricate corsetry.
The Designer Group Show continued to impress with elevated evening wear from Carol D’Silva, breezy resort wear by Kristian Williams The Brand, and structured yet feminine tailoring by Astille. If we had to chose just two takeaways from the runway, it was that tailoring and colour are in this spring, taking on new forms in daytime and cocktail dressing. Rounding out the show was a finale from BFF regular Sonia Stradiotto Couture with a collection that offered a different, more daytime inspired, look for the brand, but one we were impressed by all the same.
And that’s a wrap on another Brisbane Fashion Festival. While we anxiously await any news about a 2027 program, we will be busy adding every look to cart.
Imagery: Richard Smith / Pixel Punk
