Welcome to Insider Trading, our column asking the people in the jobs you want how they got there. This week we’re talking to fashion designer Gary Bigeni on the real cost of throwing a fashion show, how it all comes together, and what happens afterwards.
If you’re anything like us, you’ll have been glued to the runway coverage and street style moments of the recent Australian Fashion Week. What you wouldn’t see is the months of planning, creative collaborations, and significant dollars that go into staging a 20-minute presentation. Gary Bigeni has been designing his eponymous label for 23 years, seeing the rise of social media, fast fashion, body positivity, and adapting along the way. He also teaches at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), shaping the next generation of designers and creatives.
At AFW 2026, he showed a collection that showcased his 23 years of shaping his craft: draping, hand painting and soft tailoring, with playful prints, sequins, and tomato reds. It was inspired by the “quiet and extraordinary resilience of women through birth, loss, illness, depression and transformation”, with Gary’s signature bright colours and dedication to diversity on display. (It was only fitting that he took his bow in a bright fuchsia shirt and tailored pants that felt like an extension of the collection.)
This interview, conducted prior to AFW, charts the highs and lows of what it takes to actually present.
Insider Trading: Gary Bigeni
PEDESTRIAN: Happy Fashion Week. First of all, how are you feeling?
Gary Bigeni: Actually really good. I’m feeling calm and excited. I feel really pumped this year compared to previous years. Usually, it’s just non-stop momentum, then it’s suddenly done, and you’re left wondering what happens next. At the end of last year’s show — after spending six months working on something — you’re suddenly wondering what to do the next day. I felt a little bit down back then, so I realised that if I’m doing it again, I need a healthy balance. I’ve been making sure to hang out with friends, watch movies, and take dance classes. Those things have kept me grounded and relaxed over the last couple of weeks.
PEDESTRIAN: What happens after your AFW presentation?
GB: Being a small, independent brand, I’m essentially a one-person team doing most of it myself. Last year, it was quite difficult to secure appointments for people to view the collection after the show. We took it to Melbourne a little bit, but you really have to set yourself up and have a clear purpose for why you’re doing this. It requires money, time, and stress, so you need to know what you want out of it — whether that’s building the brand or securing good press.
Sales are very different now compared to 10 or 15 years ago. Back then, local and international buyers and media always attended Fashion Week. Over the last five to 10 years, the landscape has changed significantly. With everything going on globally, fewer people are travelling, so those traditional opportunities are minimal for a new brand looking for exposure. Now, it’s about finding press opportunities that can put you in front of a buyer or help build your social platforms. When you look at sponsorship, brands want to know your social media engagement and reach. It all ties together when you’re building a brand and leveraging that Fashion Week exposure.
PEDESTRIAN: How has fashion changed in your career?
GB: Over the last 10 or so years, fast fashion has completely transformed the landscape by demanding quicker turnarounds and more frequent collections. Social media has also transformed how we engage with people.
When I first started in 2003, you had to physically print a lookbook and linesheet and mail them to buyers. I don’t think I even used email back then. You would choose your top 10 target boutiques, write them a letter, and if you secured an appointment, they wanted to see and touch the collection physically. Now, it’s entirely digital. Buyers just ask for a digital lookbook over email or social media. Sometimes you get a response, sometimes you don’t. It’s all about how you use those platforms to connect with both buyers and consumers.
On my social media, I share a lot of my hand-painting process to show what goes into running an independent, sustainable brand. You also don’t have to follow the traditional fashion calendar anymore. I haven’t followed it for the last couple of years; I just focus on what works for me and my retail customers. The best advice I’ve ever received was to get known for doing one thing exceptionally well. Once you nail that, you can slowly expand. I’ve always used that as a pivoting point. I started in jersey, slowly expanded into other categories, and this new collection brings everything I’ve done over the last 23 years full circle.
PEDESTRIAN: How did you get started in fashion?
GB: I studied at the Sydney Institute of Technology — or East Sydney, as we called it back then — from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, I was selected to do a student show at Fashion Week. I only had about four or five weeks to put an 18-piece collection together. After the runway show, a few buyers expressed interest, and things grew from there. I started producing small collections for boutiques in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth. I was incredibly lucky early on to be mentored by Belinda Seper, who owned the Belinda boutiques and the Corner Shop. She took me under her wing for 12 months, gave me invaluable advice, and even provided me with a free studio space above the Corner Shop in Paddington.
PEDESTRIAN: Is there any advice from her you still carry with you today?
GB: Yes, she was the one who told me to establish myself by doing one thing really well first, and to only expand into other categories once people recognise that core strength.
PEDESTRIAN: What would you tell someone trying to break into the fashion industry today?
GB: I always tell my final-year students that they need to start trusting their own instincts as designers rather than waiting for my validation every week. Beyond that, it’s crucial to build a strong portfolio that clearly communicates your vision. I also advise them to be realistic about the financial realities. The era of running a business on an ‘oily rag’ is over because everything has become so expensive. The cost of fabric like silk has practically doubled. I recently imported a 37kg box of samples from overseas and the delivery alone cost just under $2,000. You have to be smart and prioritise sustainability, which is something we emphasise across all subjects at UTS. People often think you need to constantly churn out entirely new products, but that’s a massive financial drain. Over the last few years, I’ve realised you can take successful core pieces and simply refresh them with a new cut, fabric, or colour. Build a signature platform that customers count on you for, and nurture that growth.
PEDESTRIAN: What does it actually cost to stage a show at Australian Fashion Week?
GB: My shows aren’t extravagant productions; they are very streamlined and focused entirely on the clothing, the styling, and the energy of the space. Even so, a standard show costs between $25,000 and $40,000. And that is a minimal, baseline budget without special lighting or effects. It’s an expensive undertaking, which is why having an incredible team and great sponsors is essential. I’m working with Arlette Collective, close friends, and stylist Jana Bartolo to bring this together. You absolutely cannot do it alone.
PEDESTRIAN: But there’s something wonderful about collaborating with a close-knit creative community to bring a vision to life.
GB: Definitely. You build wonderful relationships with your team and the models. I work with many of the same models every year, so it feels like a beautiful reunion backstage. For my brand, championing diversity in sizing, age, gender, and ability is incredibly important, but I feel like very few brands are prioritising that on the runway right now.
PEDESTRIAN: It really feels like the industry has taken a step backward. Five years ago, there seemed to be a massive push for sustainability and inclusivity, but now it feels like the runway has reverted to a very homogenous, standard aesthetic.
GB: I am so glad you said that, because it is entirely true. The industry has reverted to the standard tall, thin, white aesthetic. No disrespect to that, but the average clothing size in Australia is a 14 or 16. When I look at my own e-commerce sales, sizes 12, 14, and 16 are consistently my top sellers. I want to design for those women and let them know they are seen and valued. Inclusivity shouldn’t even be a debate; it’s not that difficult to execute.
PEDESTRIAN: It’s so refreshing to hear that, and wonderful that you’re championing it. I imagine pushing against the grain can be both financially tough and a bit isolating.
GB: It would be great to see more industry-wide support. Labels like Mikaela Forte are doing fantastic work with size and gender diversity. The models who come to our castings are so confident and excited, and we shouldn’t be dampening that energy. Now that I’m in my mid-40s, I find myself relating much more to older models than 15-year-old casting candidates. I want to work with women who bring life experience and presence to the clothes. I have a stunning 68-year-old model who walks for me regularly; she completely inspires me, and that’s exactly the kind of vibrant energy I want backstage.
PEDESTRIAN: In this era of fast moving trends and algorithms, are there specific figures or creators who you think possess genuine style?
GB: I respect individual style, but I find myself most inspired by everyday street style and how real people mix and match pieces. I never intend for people to wear Gary Bigeni head-to-toe. I want individuals to pick specific pieces that seamlessly integrate into their existing wardrobes. My goal is longevity, not chasing seasonal trends. I want to create versatile pieces that people interpret in their own unique way. I still have customers who cherish draped pieces they bought from me 23 years ago. They tell me they can’t bear to part with them, even if they don’t wear them as often. That loyalty is actually what inspired me to return to draping for this collection — it reminded me of how liberating it is to just freestyle on a mannequin without any industry pressure.
PEDESTRIAN: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from failure?
GB: To keep moving forward. There will always be moments when things don’t go to plan, or when you don’t get the support you hoped for. When that happens, you have to pick yourself up. I always remind myself that tomorrow is a new day. 23 years into this career, I am still pushing forward. There have been plenty of times where I’ve thought about throwing in the towel, but I refuse to let setbacks overshadow everything I’ve built and achieved.
PEDESTRIAN: Do you have a daily work uniform?
GB: I’m always wearing colour, though my outfits vary. It can be tricky when I’m hand-painting because the studio gets incredibly messy. My actual painting uniform is a pair of oversized King Gee dungarees that I found at a market years ago for five dollars, paired with a neon green singlet. When I’m not covered in paint, I’m just wearing a lot of vibrant colour.
PEDESTRIAN: What is the most unhinged thing you’ve seen at work we can legally publish?
GB: A few years ago, an entire shipment of collection samples was stolen right off my front doorstep just a week and a half before Fashion Week. It was incredibly stressful. I was putting up posters and knocking on doors all over the neighborhood trying to track them down. Fortunately, we managed to remake the entire collection in time, but that trauma has never really left me. Now, I am incredibly strict about deliveries and making sure someone is always home to receive them.
PEDESTRIAN: If your wardrobe was on fire and you could only save one thing, what would it be?
GB: I don’t think I could choose just one item. I would probably layer as many clothes onto my body as possible, scoop the rest over my arm, and run. I’d want to save it all, to be honest! But if I had to pick something specific, maybe my roller skates.
PEDESTRIAN: What are you currently reading, watching or listening to?
GB: I’ve been listening to a lot of ’90s music lately, particularly Annie Lennox, which has actually been inspiring the soundtrack for the runway show. Television-wise, I love diving into true crime documentaries on Netflix.
PEDESTRIAN: And finally, if you were showing a first-time visitor around Sydney, where would you take them?
GB: I would actually take them out of the city and up to the Blue Mountains. We would go to Katoomba for a beautiful bush walk, have a wonderful dinner, and stop by Leura for tea and scones. Afterward, we’d just have a cozy night in watching a movie. There is something about the mountain air and nature that offers the perfect, peaceful escape from the hustle of the city.
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Lead photo: Supplied.
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