Words by Clare Neal / Photo by Christiano Oviedo
Thirteen runway presentations. Six hours of music. One night only. For its Autumn/Winter 2026 showcase, MODA Designer traded last year’s Machine Hall for the vast industrial expanse of White Bay Cruise Terminal, and with it came a palpable shift in scale and confidence.
Beneath soaring ceilings and framed by the glittering lights of Sydney Harbour, the evening unfolded inside a space that felt purpose-built for spectacle. MODA has a knack for world building that’s every bit as ambitious as their designers’ collections.
Remaining faithful to the philosophy that has defined MODA from the start, the showcase once again placed emerging designers at its centre. This year collections were presented by Abigail-Anne, Asha Jasper, Francesca Potamianakis, Imagery, Juna Elliott, Knot Rags, Lychee Alkira, Phacoste, Sage Avenue, SHESADESIGNER, Sunday, Sleight of Hand and Tasman Banks. Together, they demonstrated the diversity currently defining Australian fashion with a blend of sculptural silhouettes, precise tailoring, romance and raunch.
MODA has a knack for world building that’s every bit as ambitious as their designers’ collections
– Clare Neal
Rather than a conventional straight line, the runway itself became one of the night’s defining features. Tracing the harbour side of the terminal before slicing dramatically through its centre, the formidable circuit seemed to stretch endlessly through the crowds, true to the form of previous MODA events. Models didn’t simply appear and disappear; they orbited the audience, turning every vantage point into a front row and every collection into an immersive experience. Within the terminal, DJs carried the room effortlessly between presentations, replacing the stop-start cadence of a conventional runway with something closer to a continuous performance.
In many ways, White Bay Cruise Terminal was the perfect backdrop. Once a place built to welcome arrivals, it now played host to a new generation of Australian designers arriving on their own terms.
– Clare Neal
As the Australian fashion industry finds itself in a state of seemingly constant reinvention, MODA’s growth for AW26 feels increasingly symbolic. Whilst traditional structures continue to evolve, a new generation of designers, producers and audiences are no longer waiting for permission to participate. Instead, they’re actively building the spaces, communities and institutions they want to see.
In many ways, White Bay Cruise Terminal was the perfect backdrop. Once a place built to welcome arrivals, it now played host to a new generation of Australian designers arriving on their own terms. Bigger, bolder and more ambitious than ever, MODA Designer AW26 was a reminder that some of the most exciting institutions in Australian fashion aren’t inherited. They’re built.
