Hot on the heels of the fall-winter season, the summer collections are about to descend on Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art for Australian Fashion Week Resort 2027. Returning to the iconic harbour side backdrop after more than a decade at Carriageworks, it’s clear AFW, hosted by the Australian Fashion Council, has its sights on catering to the world stage.
So, what’s in store for the country’s most defining season? We asked buyers and merchandise planners from Australia’s leading multi-brand retailers, The Iconic and David Jones, on the key trends, investment pieces and overall mood they’re forecasting ahead of placing their Resort 27 orders.
A tale of two worlds
For the local labels and retailers, Australia’s geographical separation from the rest of the world and extended warm climate mean the summer season lasts long beyond a seaside getaway.
Collections are built for a market that largely lives a resort lifestyle year-round, while at the same time, designers must align with the international fashion calendar. For buyers and merchandisers, this requires their decisions to remain reactive to world markets, while staying grounded in signature resort DNA to meet local demand. This unique tension has resulted in smart, cohesive ranges that have mastered effortless high-summer glamour.
“Australia has always been the leading destination for resortwear because it is our natural fashion language - a perfect coupling of culture and craft,” said Jessica Dusting, The Iconic’s senior merchandise planner.
“Our designers provide fresh perspectives by looking both backward and forward, utilising a relaxed foundation as a canvas to explore colour and unique details.”
For Jessica, the labels honing this foundation have resulted in a clear aesthetic and a recognisable handwriting. She described Australian design’s casual-forward style as “elevated and feminine without feeling overdone, capturing that signature sense of ease the rest of the world is currently chasing.”
Casual-forward, incidentally, feels like a Matthieu Blazy-ism. Just this month, the traditional concept of ‘resort’ was redefined by Chanel during Blazy’s first cruise show, and third outing for the French house. The collection set a new tone for the luxury jetset consumer globally, one that goes beyond the detached, escapist capsule style of luxury resort.
The themes Blazy took to the beach in Biarritz delivered heritage-laden coastal chic, with all the fun and kitschy cool of a Karl Lagerfeld production. Most of all, the design signatures were there; skirt suits, sea-glass blue, deep red, stripes, and innovative tweed. The evident continuation from Blazy’s debut to Biarritz points to a clear retail strategy that rests on wearability and collectability, e.g. that oversized bag, and those half sandals. So, will the industry hype around Chanel influence resort buying decisions?
It’s about longevity for Jessica. “While it's probably a stretch to assume everyone will be walking around in barely-there sandals, it certainly got everyone looking,” she said.
“We'll be looking for lots of sheer fabrics, interesting textures and details like beading, alongside some fresh prints for the new season.”
Catering to the core consumer
This sense of elevated femininity was something JAG general manager, Jalda Azad experienced when first moving from Europe to Australia. When tasked with buying for spring summer in the southern hemisphere at The Iconic, she noticed compared to the androgynous stylings of Berlin fashion, the Australian consumer is much more feminine overall.
“They’re less serious. They love colour and natural fabrications, and buying into that softness is so much more important here,” Jalda observed.
“What stands out is the casualness, especially when dressing up and going out, which is very different. Thinking of the reverse seasonality when you dress up in Europe for Christmas and New Year's - the velvets and the heavy sequins and the sparkles - they don't really translate here.”
For a retailer like David Jones, which stocks brands on the AFW resort schedule including Carla Zampatti, Aje, Hansen & Gretel and Nagnata, their international ready-to-wear buy for the domestic market carries a different approach.
“Our focus has been clean and minimal Scandi styles,” confirmed David Jones buyer, Lisa Yeung. Labels like Herskind, Stylein, and Samsoe Samsoe fit the bill in terms of catering to trending shapes like capri pants and peddle pushers which are making a comeback for the retailer.
“The other extreme is oversized balloon and wide shapes in pants from Jacquemus and Source Unknown,” Lisa said. Balloon pants are experiencing triple-digit search growth according to Trendalytics, after featuring heavily on the Spring Summer 2026 international runways.
The Resort 27 forecast
In 2026, the trending styles and shifts are being driven by a demand for hyper-personalisation and cultural storytelling. With Gen-Z’s aptitude for vintage clothing and scouring the resale market, designers are competing by refreshing nostalgic aesthetics characterised by personal expression, and ultimately departing quiet luxury.
“I'm looking forward to a revival of intricate detailing and how our Aussie designers interpret the shift away from the quiet luxury focus we've observed,” said The Iconic’s Jessica Dusting.
At David Jones, the accessories team is similarly placed. “Definitely the 'make it personal' trend applies to jewellery through all the ways of creating personalisation, from letters and birth stones, through to thoughtful gifts like bag charms,” said Lisa.
Here’s what else the teams are betting on for Resort 27.
The colours
The Iconic: The use of bright and somewhat clashing colours, but executed in a sophisticated way. Dusting predicts strong momentum in minty and aqua tones, which she predicts will appear across the schedule this season.
David Jones: Natasha Halket, womenswear buying manager forecasts the winter burgundy trend moves into more summer hues of reds and corals, with touches of pale pink and ballet pink.
Key pieces
The Iconic: “The knee-length skirt. Everyone will be wearing these "awkward-length" skirts next season - it’s definitely the silhouette to watch,” Jessica said. Google searches for ‘midi skirt’ have increased 404% over the past quarter, and 147% over the past year.
David Jones: According to Natasha, in terms of trends, fringe, polkadots, lace, floral prints (particularly large scale), stripes, placement prints are taking over.
“Funnel necks in jackets and tops we’re seeing across all brands at present. Cropped pants, more cinched tailoring and ready-to-wear shapes are gaining momentum as opposed to oversized silhouettes,” Natasha said.
“In denim, barrel and straight leg jeans, white and ecru denim washes while top-to-toe denim dressing continues.”
Handbags
David Jones: For handbags, "We’re leaning heavily on quality and texture, as authentically, a lot of bags are still very minimalist in detail,” said Liz Ormando, buying manager for footwear and accessories. “Designers are leaning into nostalgia with re-releases and updates to classic shapes built on the brand’s DNA.”
“In this tough economy, we are focused on icon styles from our brands. East-West shoulder bags are strong, which all brands are currently showing,” Lisa agreed.
Footwear
The Iconic: According to Jessica, ballet flats will remain a key transeasonal staple in everyone’s wardrobe. Flip-flops will also remain popular for Resort 27, though we will likely see some new, elevated iterations and takes on them.
David Jones: The team agrees loafers and ballet flats remain key silhouettes, with a shift toward more traditional satin finishes emerging across both ballet styles and sneakers. While the market has not yet fully moved into high summer sandals, thong and flip flop styles continue to dominate, particularly in leather and suede across both flat and wedge variations, making them a consistent part of almost every brand’s offering.
Comfort remains a major driver overall, with growing demand for footbed sandals. In closed-toe styles, loafers continue to perform strongly alongside the rise of boat shoe-inspired silhouettes, while in pumps, sling-backs in elongated shapes are gaining momentum.
For more trends to come this year, download the Fall Winter 2026 Trend Report.
