Australian Fashion Week experienced significant disruption on Thursday during two shows held by avant-garde fashion house Iordanes Spyridon Gogos at the UNSW Galleries in Sydney. The first runway event, scheduled for 11am, ended abruptly when a fire alarm forced the evacuation of all attendees. Guests were seen crowding outside the venue as fire trucks arrived on the scene.
According to a Daily Mail reporter present, the alarm was triggered by a cleaning product containing a chemical that set off the sensors. The timing coincided with the arrival of guests for the midday show, leading to a chaotic scene outside the building. Australian influencer Suzan Mutesi captured footage of the evacuation, showing attendees heading toward the exits as the show concluded prematurely.
The second showing, at 12pm, faced its own crisis when a female audience member fainted about three-quarters of the way through the event. The music stopped, models froze on the runway, and paramedics were called to assist. The individual was eventually taken out in a wheelchair with a heat pack. The medical emergency prompted many attendees to leave early.
Notable figures in the audience appeared unimpressed by the unfolding drama. Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe was seen sitting front row with a stoic expression as models performed unconventional routines, including a male model dragging a woman across the floor and carrying her over his shoulders. Other models wore bizarre, conceptual outfits, and one guest even dressed as a BBQ sauce bottle while seated in the front row.
The incidents have sparked debate about the state of Australian Fashion Week. Since 2013, the event was held at Carriageworks, but this year it moved to the Museum of Contemporary Art precinct in Circular Quay, a decision some insiders describe as a desperate attempt to revive its prestige amid declining buzz and increasing influencer dominance. Daily Mail has contacted Iordanes Spyridon Gogos for comment.
