New Graduates Shaping the Future of Fashion

The 32nd annual Future Fashion exhibition will open at Powerhouse Castle Hill on 2 August 2025, highlighting the stand-out collections of four final year graduates from leading Sydney fashion and design institutions — Whitehouse Institute of Design; University of Technology Sydney; Fashion Design Studio: TAFE NSW Ultimo Campus and Torrens University Australia: Billy Blue College of Design.

Established in 1993, Future Fashion showcases designers emerging from NSW tertiary fashion and textiles courses. Over the past three decades this exhibition has featured the work of more than 200 students, with many going on to have impressive careers, including Toni Matičevski, Dion Lee, Michelle Jank and Anthony Kendal.

In 2025, graduate designers Yishan (Eva) Yao (Whitehouse Institute of Design), Suzaan Stander (University of Technology Sydney), Shiva Yousefpourshahrivar (Fashion Design Studio: TAFE NSW Ultimo Campus) and Alec Boyajian (Torrens University Australia: Billy Blue College of Design) will showcase their diverse design signatures and high-level technical skills with collections that explore themes of cultural heritage, gender, sustainability, technology, architecture and art. 

Boyajian’s Autumn-Winter 2025-26 Collection is a tribute to his grandfather’s Californian mechanic shop. Using upcycled and reinterpreted denim, the collection explores workwear pieces that blend ideals of traditional and redefined masculinity.

Yousefpourshahrivar’s Unbound Collection presents a future where fashion is both expressive and responsible, showcasing zero-waste practices, multi-functional garments and gender-neutral forms.

Whitehouse graduate Yao experimented with wool roving and yarn to develop an original textile with rich tactile surfaces. Her Reborn Collection reimagines history with a modern purpose and sense of individuality.

Stander’s graduate collection is inspired by characters that occupy the space between fantasy and reality such as dolls, marionette puppets and artworks that come to life. By abstracting the craftsmanship of corsetry through surrealist construction, Stander delves into what would happen if the corset became a living thing.

To celebrate the opening, Powerhouse will present a free day of talks, tours, demonstrations and workshops on Saturday 2 August at Powerhouse Castle Hill. A panel discussion hosted by Laura Washington, Head of the Fashion Design Studio, TAFE NSW will explore the artistic practices of the exhibiting graduate designers. Visitors can go behind-the-scenes of the expansive Powerhouse Collection on a curator-led tour of the textile storerooms, take part in hands-on workshops exploring 3D fashion design and material innovation or join a catwalk photography demonstration presented by Torrens University Australia.

Powerhouse Collection Curator Glynis Jones said, ‘Fashion is one of the world’s most compelling, competitive and complex industries where skill, creativity, technology and economics meet imagination, art, history, politics, culture and identity. The work of these four talented students embodies this dynamic mélange with pieces inspired by Persian heritage, a family auto-repair workshop, medical technology, Minnan architecture, corsetry, Surrealism and sustainability.’

Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said, ‘Each year we continue to be impressed by the outstanding calibre of students graduating from Sydney’s fashion institutions. These leading educators are a key component of our cultural and creative industry sector and play a crucial role in fostering creativity, critical thinking and entrepreneurship among emerging designers. We are pleased to be able to offer a platform to spotlight these designers and be a launch pad for their careers.’ 

Future Fashion will be on display from 2 August – 7 December 2025. Powerhouse Castle Hill is open every weekend from 10am–4pm. For more information visit: powerhouse.com.au/program/future-fashion.