Window shopping just got more exciting with the announcement of a three‑month Circular Fashion Residency, supported by SAFIA and the City of Adelaide, spotlighting sustainable, locally made fashion in South Australia.
This landmark residency will feature three leading local fashion designers, who will exhibit new work and share insights into their practices from inside the City of Adelaide’s ART POD.
A core aim of the residency is to champion sustainable, long‑lasting fashion production while positioning South Australia as a place where innovation is driven by both creativity and responsibility.
“This residency repositions fashion from something hidden behind studio doors into something lived, visible, and shared within the city,” SAFIA Board Chair Nathan James Crane says.
“Adelaide has always had a strong creative undercurrent, but what we’re seeing now is a growing confidence in bringing that to the surface.”
Featuring work and demonstrations from Katya Komarova, Threads of India and Blakesby Hats, the residency invites the public to step inside the ART POD and experience how clothes are made up close—a rare opportunity in the era of fast fashion.
“South Australia is producing designers who are not only creatively distinctive, but deeply engaged with questions of sustainability, materiality and longevity,” Crane says.
“What’s exciting is that these designers are not treating sustainability as an add‑on, but as a fundamental design principle.”
Stepping into the ART POD invites visitors to slow down amid the city rush. Positioned in the heart of Pirie Street’s foot traffic, its striking displays and live demonstrations showcase the creative work unfolding within the city.
“When people come across a working studio in the city, it creates curiosity, draws them in, and reveals the processes involved in creating sustainable clothing,” Crane says.
“By placing designers directly in the CBD, the residency invites the public into the design process, rather than focusing solely on finished outcomes. This shift builds understanding, connection and a deeper appreciation for the value of design.”
Image credit: Blakesby Hats by Morgan Sette