Esher Rae Unveils Poetic Edge at QAFF Next Gen Runway 2025
See all the photos by Sunshine Coast photographer Tito Media here.
At the Queensland Arts and Fashion Festival’s Next Gen Runway 2025, Esher Rae made a striking impression with a debut collection that balanced softness with strength, and minimalism with moody detail. Her designs walked the fine line between romantic and rebellious, earning her a wave of admiration from the Gold Coast crowd.
Characterised by a balance of delicate fabrics mixed with leather and white denim, fitted cuts, and a feminine palette of bone, lavender and blush, Esher Rae’s pieces exuded an ethereal yet grounded energy. Fabrics like chiffon flowed like whispers— while structured tailoring around the shoulders and waist and the use leather in garments, shoes and accessories gave the garments a sense of quiet power. The contrast felt deliberate, echoing a narrative of vulnerability turned into armor.
Subtle details stood out upon closer inspection: hand illustrated insects turned into prints or digital embroidery, exposed seams, and hand-stitched symbols that hinted at deeply personal inspiration. Her work didn’t shout—it invited a second look, then lingered in the mind long after the model exited the runway.
This was slow fashion at its finest—thoughtful, intentional, and unmistakably fresh. Esher Rae’s aesthetic suggested a designer attuned to the emotional landscape of modern womanhood, where elegance is effortless but never without meaning.
Sunshine Coast fashion photographer Tito Media was on-site to capture the mood of the moment, from backstage stillness to the show’s dramatic lighting that gave each piece an otherworldly glow. With this debut, Esher Rae announced herself not just as a fashion designer, but as a storyteller through style—subtle, stirring, and unforgettable.
