Function Meets Fashion: The Future of Australian Design

From the sports oval, to outer space to accessible design, fashion is being reimagined beyond traditional garments. This expert panel explores how innovations in wearable technology and high-performance design are transforming fashion’s potential—and asks whether functional fashion could define Australia’s future identity on the global stage.

Hosted by Swinburne University of Technology as part of Melbourne Fashion Week, this conversation brings together leaders from the high-performance sectors including sportswear, aerospace, and medical, alongside forward-thinking fashion designers and researchers. Together, they’ll explore how cutting-edge innovations can translate to the high street and influence the future of everyday fashion.

Our target audience includes fashion designers, product developers, pattern makers, design entrepreneurs, design educators, and design students interested in innovation, performance, and emerging technologies in fashion. We also aim to engage professionals from adjacent sectors—such as health, sport, and technology—who are both shaping and standing to benefit from the future of wearable and functional fashion. Aligned with Swinburne’s focus on technology and design, this event will particularly support students and early-career designers looking to deepen their understanding of how fashion intersects with technological advancement and applied innovation.

Host or Publisher Swinburne University of Technology