Seamless and FDS present The Innovators at AFC Australian Fashion Week

Our partnership brings together education, industry and purpose to showcase a new generation of designers rethinking how clothing is made. Circular principles are embedded at every stage of the collections, from design development and material selection to production, use and end-of-life considerations.

Presented as part of AFC Australian Fashion Week’s official 2026 program, The Innovators positions circular design not as an exception, but as a foundation for contemporary fashion practice. It celebrates forward‑thinking creativity while addressing the urgent environmental challenges facing the global clothing industry.

Our shared commitment

Our partnership reflects a shared commitment between FDS and Seamless to:

• Support emerging design talent
• Build skills and knowledge in circular design and its application
• Strengthen pathways for sustainable practice between education and industry
• Champion innovation with real-world environmental and social impact

Seamless brings sector-wide expertise in circular systems and clothing stewardship, while FDS contributes hands-on learning and designer‑led experimentation. Together, we’re showing how collaboration across education and industry can actively shape the future of clothing.

Designing differently

The four designers behind The Innovators have created collections using existing resources, including deadstock fabrics, water-damaged textiles and recycled materials, along with natural dye processes.

Each collection has been designed using CLO, 3D fashion design software that enables the designers to create realistic garments in a virtual environment. Rather than relying on traditional sketching and physical sampling, the designers are creating realistic virtual prototypes, complete with accurately digitised fabrics, patterns, trims, and avatar dress forms. By replacing physical samples with digital ones, they're significantly reducing material waste, costs, and lead times while refining their ideas.

Meet the designers

The showcase will feature emerging talent:

• Luke Rutherford-Durney
• Oliver Parry
• Tate Boswarva
• Zoe Markopoulos

Each designer brings a unique perspective to circular fashion. In the coming weeks, we’ll take a closer look at their collections and the principles behind them.

Where and when

FDS TAFE NSW - The Innovators is an invitation only event that offers an inspiring insight into how thoughtful design can drive meaningful change, reframing fashion as a space of responsibility, innovation, and possibility.

It will be held at 2pm on Wednesday 13 May at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, as part of AFC Australian Fashion Week 2026.

AFC Australian Fashion Week 2026 is a celebration of Australia’s culture, creativity, and innovative designers crafting the future of Australian fashion which takes place from 11 to 15 May 2026 in Sydney.

^{Photography credits: Header image: ATTE by Tate Boswarva with photography by Ben Kittle. Set of three images, left to right: Luke Ruben by Luke Rutherford-Durney with photography by Sonny Vandevelde; Oliver Parry with photography by Sonny Vanvervelde; By Marko by Zoe Markopoulos with photography by Sonny Vandervelde.}