There are few settings more distinctly Sydney than the harbour in the rain.
On night one of AFC Australian Fashion Week, Carla Zampatti transformed the waterfront boardwalk at the Park Hyatt Sydney into a windswept runway framed by the glow of the Sydney Opera House.
Backstage, the mood was calm but electric. Steam rose from irons, beauty teams moved quickly between chairs and models drifted through the space wrapped in tailoring, silk and raincoats between final touches. We followed them from behind the scenes and out onto the harbour’s edge – umbrellas up, heels slick against the wet timber, the city blurred by mist and light.
There was something romantic about the unpredictability of it all. Hair loosened in the wind, fabrics caught the rain and the line between backstage and runway almost disappeared entirely. It felt less like a traditional fashion show and more like a moment suspended in the middle of the storm.
Imagery: Hope Patterson
