21 Mar 2025
The Melbourne Fashion Festival is Australia’s largest fashion event. From Saturday 22 February to Saturday 8 March 2025, Melbourne played host to emerging and established designers from around the country – many of whom call Victoria home.
Our fashion scene is home to gritty, enduring and artistic small business designers looking for new ways to reinvent the fashion industry. Victorian-made products are known for their premium quality and attention to detail, and the fashion scene is no exception – setting trends that turn heads locally and abroad.
Two small businesses that are leading the way with innovative fashion that aims to give back are Nixi Killick (NXK) and Lisa Barron. They are part of a wave of businesses positioning Victoria as the place to go for premium clothing made the right way.
NIXI KILLICK, Northcote
NIXI KILLICK (NXK) is an innovative and contemporary designer who uses a combination of augmented reality, original artwork and streetwear to create technology-infused wearable pieces. Her Melbourne-based small business NXK has a strong commitment to unique products, ethical production and quality.
For Nixi, the Melbourne Fashion Festival has been a launchpad for her small business. From debuting her business to showcasing the world’s first AR-activated fashion label, the Melbourne Fashion Festival has been pivotal in shaping her 10-year journey.
NXK has never been just about clothing. Nixi is enthusiastic about her ‘Colourtribe’!
Garments are tools to connect with the community, project our personalities and carry our characters. Fashion is a shared experience with the power to unite us, and that’s what I strive to build into every piece.
Nixi creates designs that are limited, intentional, made with love and have a story behind every element. For Nixi, ‘investing in local design isn’t just about fashion—it’s about supporting artistry, sustainability, and a future where creativity thrives in the community it is born out of.’
Lisa Barron, Armadale
Lisa Barron has been building her luxury brand in Melbourne since moving from Perth with nothing more than a suitcase at the age of 21. With over 40 years in fashion, she has turned her vision into reality, growing a business that operates from one of Melbourne’s most luxurious high streets.
What’s unique about Lisa is that the design studio, head office, and boutique all operate under one roof, a testament to her commitment to small business and local manufacturing.
Lisa has been involved with the festival since it started in 1994. Over the years, she’s witnessed first-hand how the festival has played a key role in building Melbourne’s reputation as a world-leading creative fashion capital.
The festival showcases our talented emerging creatives across many disciplines of fashion right through to our high-end luxury brands. Our Melbourne labels are sought after around the world for the unique style and authentic design.
Lisa has always believed in a very hands-on approach to running her business, from fabric selection to building close relationships with all the local factories that produce the garments with care and precision. Her dedication to authenticity and her focus on creating Melbourne-made products lies at the heart of her small business ethos.
As a contemporary designer, Lisa believes in creating collections that don’t follow seasonal trends and are truly ageless. She embraces her staff and customers as part of the family, staying authentic to her vision and values every step of the way.
Melbourne Fashion – our unique offering
Nixi and Lisa are both proud to be part of Melbourne’s independent fashion scene, where small businesses are powerhouses of innovation, pushing boundaries in sustainability, technology, and ethical production.
They are proving that responsible fashion can still be daring, experimental, and uniquely Melbourne.
If you’re looking for inspiration from the success of our small business designers or are interested in the festival, visit the Melbourne Fashion Festival.
- For more on sustainability, read our article on Doing business differently for a sustainable future.
- For more on equal pay, read our article on 4 ways SMEs can close the gender pay gap.
For more on locally made products, read our article on Cheers to Aussie craftsmanship: Australian Made Week is back.