The Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF) is Australia’s premier wearable art event – an immersive celebration where fashion, sculpture, movement and storytelling collide on the runway.

Now entering its sixth year, AWAF has grown from a grassroots creative project on the Sunshine Coast into a nationally recognised arts event attracting artists, audiences and industry attention from across Australia and internationally. The Festival provides a platform for visionary artists who transform recycled, repurposed and unconventional materials into extraordinary wearable artworks that challenge perceptions of fashion, sustainability and artistic expression.

Presented annually on the Sunshine Coast, AWAF is more than a runway show. It is a large-scale collaborative arts experience involving wearable artists, dancers, performers, musicians, projection artists, body painters, stylists and creative practitioners from across multiple disciplines.

Support from the community helps ensure these artists are fairly supported and able to continue creating ambitious new work. Donations contribute directly to artist participation and creative development as opposed to going to the event, helping fund elements such as artist commissions, opening performances, choreography, body painting, live creative activations and emerging artist opportunities connected to the Festival.

This includes support for local wearable artists such as Derby Cross, whose internationally recognised work has become synonymous with the innovation and artistic excellence emerging from the Sunshine Coast creative community.

As a small independent arts organisation, AWAF relies on the support of partners, audiences, donors and the broader community to continue growing and delivering accessible, world-class cultural experiences on the Sunshine Coast.

By contributing, you are directly supporting artists, creative experimentation and the continued growth of one of Australia’s most unique contemporary arts events.

Donations are tax deductible and managed through the Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation.

📷 Renae Droop photos@rdwphotography.com.au