Best In Show: The New Designers You Need To Know From MFW 2024

Ask any Melbourne fashion insider about their favourite M/FW show, and chances are they’ll mention the Student Runway. Why? Because there’s nothing Melburnians love more than discovering a hot new local designer. Every look that hits the catwalk is a true never-seen-before moment. 

Last year was all about wearability and sustainability, but 2024? It’s frills, colour, and real-world fantasy bursting at the seams. Some designers drew inspiration from the female gaze, others from faraway hometowns, but a common thread ran through: sustainability and upcycling are here to stay. It’s certainly clear that Melbourne’s fashion future is brave, bright, and innovative.

Here are the nine designers you need to know before they hit the big time:

Nam Tran

2024’s Student Runway found its most deserving winner in Nam Tran with his collection ‘Behind the Bamboo’. Inspired by his home village in Vietnam, Tran’s pieces are a striking mix of contemporary colour and traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship. His structured, straw-like bodice and lilac frills are a nod to the village mothers, babies strapped under their outfits as they fan themselves beneath wide-brimmed straw hats in the tropical heat. We can already picture Nam’s garments featuring as uber-cool street style at next years show. 

Joanna Youn

Joanna Youn, the brainchild of RMIT’s Joanna Lee and Changmin Yun—the only duo in the lineup—did not disappoint. Their collection, ‘The Korean Festival’, reimagined tradition as contemporary couture, and it was nothing short of a spectacle. To our eye, it was the widest, most exaggerated collection on the runway—and we loved every minute. For the daring fashion fans, the collision of patterns and luminous silk jacquards is a masterpiece. 

 

Chloe Hurdsfield

Fans of Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please–add Chloe Hursdfield to your watch list immediately. Choe’s ‘Unfolded’ collection delves into the intricate process of hand ciment pleating. The result? Silky, drapey perfection balanced with mood-boosting shades of blue and bubblegum pink—we’re sold. While we adore the bold, statement-making looks on the student runway, Chloe’s pieces are the kind you can easily see sliding into any Melburnian’s wardrobe. We’ll take one of everything, (pleats) please.

 

Hansi Senanayake

Move over, athleisure. From afar, these slightly shimmery dresses seem like the perfect party wardrobe addition. At second glance though, you’ll see that Hansi has fused two iconic designs into a new “sportswear-elegance” hybrid—blending the basketball jersey with the classic column dress to create something completely new. Run, don’t walk, over to Hansi’s Insta to keep a close eye out for these to hit stores (we’re betting they’ll be everywhere in six months).

Sasha Alexandria 

Titled ‘Ode to Her’, Sasha’s frilled, pleated, and pastel collection beautifully weaves femininity with colour and texture—drawing inspiration from none other than Sylvia Plath. Wearing these silky creations would feel like floating on a pastel cloud. Each piece blends seamlessly in monochromatic dreaminess, where you can barely tell where one garment ends and the next begins.
 

Mayuko Uchino

We can already picture Mayuko’s contemporary Kimono styles on the likes of Poppy Lissiman and fellow fashion A-listers. The unexpected colour palette alone—candy pink paired with neon green, beige, and brown—is enough to turn heads. This collection is also a reflection on the impact of cultural appropriation in Japanese fashion, concluding with Mayuko skillfully balancing (her own) two cultures within each design.

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Tay Chen

For hyper-femme designs under the influence of the female gaze, look no further than Tay Chen. Tay draws inspiration from traditional corsets, creating new silhouettes that break free from the constraints of unhealthy aesthetics. Instead, the designs evoke a sense of softness—a pleasure to wear and to witness.

 

Adrianna Barr 

Adrianna is making a strong case for the return of pastel peplum, and we’re here for it. Shaped from scuba fabric, her ‘This is What Makes Us Girls’ collection redefines everything you think you know about athleisure, elevating it into high-end sportswear. The goal? To take the allure of motocross fashion and turn it into something women actually want to wear. This collection strikes a balance between masculine and feminine energy, wrapped in pastel tones that are wearable and chic.

Indigo Stuart

With hand-woven tartan-covered designs like these, it’s no surprise Indigo made it to the top 5 finalists. The effortlessly chic appeal of frayed edges and longline silhouettes makes Indigo’s ‘Inheritance’ collection a standout. Drawing from her Scottish heritage, with clan tartans passed down through generations, the result is steeped in sentimentality. We’ll be first in line to secure one of these luxurious pieces.