Australians have been outed as the world’s biggest fashion consumers, purchasing on average 56 new items of clothing per person each year. However, the garments most consumers purchase are rarely locally made and, according to The Australia Institute, their average value is just $13. This is only fuelling the fast fashion waste crisis. Further research by Roy Morgan revealed an estimated 1.1 million people in Australia are buying products from Shein every month. The knock-on effect of this con
this consumer behaviour is not only environmentally damaging but also contributes to the loss of the country’s apparel manufacturing industry.
As part of the 2025 PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival program, industry leaders met on Tuesday to discuss why fashion consumers aren’t buying Australian-made clothing.
“It’s actually a very democratic industry, but it’s not really one that has been recognised strategically from a government perspective,” stated Jaana Quaintance-James, the CEO of the Australian Fashion Council.
“And so it really brings us to a point where we are as an industry considering what is the future, and how do we change this trajectory?” she asked the panelists.
Unattainable price points
Amy Gallagher, the founder of sustainable Melbourne-based brand Kloke believes that the high price point of Australian-made labels deters consumers.
“I think we really do have to take into consideration that there is a level of privilege that comes with buying Australian-made as well, it is often far more expensive – the price point is definitely a barrier for some people,” said Gallagher.
“I think there is an enormous amount of appreciation when people walk into our store and they can see that we have a locally made range, and they know that we are investing in that infrastructure and supply chains,” she added.
“But they may not necessarily buy it, and I think that’s just the reality of the cost of what it looks like to manufacture in Australia as well,” she concluded.
Incomplete supply chain
For Tara Moses, RM Williams’ chief operating officer, Australia’s limited manufacturing capabilities make it difficult to produce a garment to completion in Australia.
“We definitely don’t do a good enough job telling the consumer the story,” said Moses.
“Unfortunately, Australia just doesn’t have a lot of infrastructure available – one of those points of the supply chain starts to break down and we really struggle with having the entirety made here in Australia, just because the infrastructure is not there,” she added.
“So we have to make choices all the time as a company. What part of the supply chain can we have in Australia? And we’re all doing the best we can to build that back up so we have that capability here,” Moses concluded.
Strong international competition
Emerging designer of menswear label Joseph and James, Juanita Page, believes consumers are simply unaware of the range of Australian-made fashion in the market because retailers select international brands over local labels.
“Our brand ideally exists in spaces like Incu, Up There, Above The Clouds – those types of boutiques,” said Page.
“We’ve been aiming to get into those spaces but what we’re finding is that they’re prominently sourcing and selling international brands – so we’re having to compete with these brands who are well-known, established brands, who many Aussies in our type of market know already,” she added.
“Even though we’ve been selling online, getting into a wholesale space, which will help us from a marketing credibility perspective with our potential customer,” has been a challenge, Page said.
“It’s just very tricky to get that foot in the door for Aussie brands, especially new brands that may not have experience.”