More than 30 emerging NSW fashion designers make strides with new funding

Around $300,000 is supporting 33 NSW-based emerging fashion creatives to purchase critical equipment, seize professional development opportunities and forge connections across the fashion industry.     

Under-represented emerging talent, including First Nations fashion designers and those based in Western Sydney and regional NSW, make up 60 per cent of recipients.   

This investment is a commitment of the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy, addressing an urgent need for the local industry to build capacity and leverage networks that open the door to growth, career expansion and collaborative opportunities.     

With grants of up to $10,000 for emerging fashion creatives to purchase new business equipment, travel to new markets, or participate in local and global professional development opportunities, the new program received a large number of applications. In response to the high demand, the program investment was boosted by 50 per cent, increasing the total funding delivered to $300,000, from the earlier $200,000 commitment. 

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Recipients include the Women of the Rivers, a collective of three First Nations fashion creatives from NSW’s Northern Rivers region, Kylie Caldwell, Jasmin Stanford and Val Smith. The three designers will be supported to debut at the Country to Couture 2026 Fashion Showcase as part of this year’s Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair in August, which is a nationally recognised platform that elevates First Nations design and celebrates innovation grounded in culture and Country.    

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Dharug-based Ngiyampaa and Guringai woman Tarni Eastwood was supported to purchase business equipment needed to complement her residency at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris this month, as part of the Powerhouse 2026 galang Residency Program. During her residency, Tarni is developing and documenting a series of woven headpieces that situate First Nations weaving knowledge within a European millinery context.  

First Nations-owned Gali Swimwear is using the Quick Response Fashion Grant to bring Gali’s lookbook and portfolio to life and share the brand’s story with international audiences. Founded at Bondi by Kamilaroi man David Leslie, Gali Swimwear (from the Gamilaraay word for ‘water’) collaborates with First Nations artists and communities, fusing First Nations culture and a deep love for the ocean to create premium sustainable men's swimwear, now to be shared with the world.   

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Riverina-based fashion designer Nehma Vitols has received support for her creative project Citrus Threads, a runway and exhibition project exploring regional industry through a cultural lens. Presented as part of Griffith’s Spring Fest 2026, the work draws on the legacy of Riverina citrus growers, translating their stories into garments, textiles, film, and long-form interviews, culminating in a major outdoor runway experience.   

Create NSW Executive Director, Kerri Glasscock said:    

“Create NSW is proudly supporting the next wave of NSW fashion designers to help them make their mark in the industry. This much-needed boost delivers time-critical, practical support to NSW’s rising fashion creatives, so they can invest in equipment, gain increased industry recognition and expand their professional networks.”     

The WOMEN OF THE RIVERS collective, Kylie Caldwell, Jasmin Stanford and Val Smith, said: 

“All three of us feel truly relieved and excited that we secured funding to support the design, development, production, and participation in one of the most notable First Nations fashion platforms. Resourcing our vision and aspirations in the Indigenous fashion space is empowering, allowing us to create with less limitations. We are nervously excited to share what we have been designing. We decided to opt in as three designers to make the process less daunting and to provide a supportive space as we develop together.” 

Riverina-based fashion designer Nehma Vitols said:  

“Citrus Threads is about recontextualising regional industry through a cultural lens. The Riverina has a rich agricultural history, but there’s an opportunity to tell these stories in a way that reaches new audiences. Bringing together fashion, storytelling and community, the project is both locally grounded and nationally relevant. This support also allows me to invest in infrastructure that extends beyond a single project, building long-term capacity for creative production in the Riverina.”