Excitement is surging for the fifth annual Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF) – a boundary-pushing, world-class celebration of art, fashion and performance held on the Sunshine Coast over 8-9 August.
This year, the festival is welcoming a record number of international designers alongside some of Australia’s most innovative creatives.
With 35 visionary artists from Australia, the USA, New Zealand, Romania and Bali, AWAF 2025 promises a rich and diverse celebration of wearable art, storytelling and performance.
This year marks a bolder level of production and opening the event is the acclaimed ‘Future Fragile’ collection by Gympie local Cindy Vogels – renowned for her work with Lady Gaga and top Australian musical acts. Ms Vogels’ latest creations, crafted entirely from salvaged and recycled materials are a striking reflection on environmental vulnerability that speaks directly to the Festival’s sustainability-driven ethos.
The opening will be a full art immersion experience with Ms Vogels collaborating with projection artist Donna Maree Robinson and Brisbane-based First Nations music artist GLVES.
“Future Fragile has always held a deep resonance for me – these works were born out of fear for our natural world, and it feels even more relevant and urgent today,” Ms Vogels said.
“I have expanded this collection for the AWAF opening and this new piece is more than an addition—it’s a conversation with the past, through the lens of now.”
Created entirely from salvaged and recycled materials, Future Fragile sets the tone for a festival that is as visionary as it is values-driven. In 2025, an estimated 80 per cent of AWAF designs incorporate repurposed materials – showcasing how sustainability and creativity can redefine the fashion world.
AWAF co-founder and curator Wendy Roe said she’s proud to see the Festival gaining momentum as both a creative force and a cultural voice for change.
“We’ve never opened the Festival like this before and Future Fragile will set the scene perfectly,” Ms Roe said.
“Australia is one of the world’s most significant clothing consumers importing over 380,000 tonnes each year, but we are equally one of the largest fashion polluters with over 200,000 tonnes of this fashion ending up in landfill.
“AWAF is proud to be inspiring people to look at fashion differently and choose to perhaps repurpose or upcycle before discarding.
“This year, audiences can expect an eclectic mix of materials including recycled plastics, found objects, and plant-based objects colliding with LED lighting, hand-dyed fabrics, and intricate engineering.”
This year’s event has seen record-breaking artist entries and a 30% rise in international submissions, further cementing AWAF’s global reputation and cultural influence.
AWAF 2025 also sees the return of its celebrated runway format, where each piece is choreographed with custom lighting, music and movement – transforming the venue into a gallery-meets-theatre space and allowing artists to co-create the atmosphere and story behind their work.
With General Admission tickets already over 60 per cent sold and VIP now exhausted, the team is urging fashion and art lovers to secure their seats now.
“If you’ve ever thought about coming to AWAF, this is the year,” Ms Roe said. “You’ll witness the future of fashion, sustainability and storytelling — all wrapped into one unforgettable weekend.”
