On 31 August 2015, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Fashion Chamber (AFC).

Signing the MoU with the Chair of the Australian Fashion Chamber and Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, Edwina McCann, Minster Bishop emphasised the importance of the fashion industry to Australia, which employs some 220,000 people and contributes around $12 billion to the economy each year.

The MoU formalises the partnership between the Government and the fashion industry. It will enable the industry and Government to work together to connect Australian designers internationally, promote private sector engagement, nurture fashion talent, promote economic opportunities, drive economic growth and promote gender equality.

The event, held at the University of Technology Sydney Business School, was attended by some of Australia's fashion elite. Four Sydney Dance Company performers modelled costumes from leading Australian fashion designers Toni Maticevski, Dion Lee, Akira Isogawa and Josh Goot, while four models wore creations from Aje, By Johnny, macgraw and Bianca Spender.

At the event Minister Bishop also announced that the AFC was successful in their application under the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program for their Australian Designers Abroad project. Through this grant the AFC took one emerging and five established fashion designers to Paris for an Australian showroom in the sidelines of the largest trade show in the industry – Paris Fashion Week. This project increased international recognition of Australian designers and improve market access in Europe and worldwide.

In the past twelve months, Australia's diplomatic network has hosted events with the fashion industry in New York, London, Paris, Istanbul, Jakarta and New Delhi. These events have provided an important platform for Australian designers and producers to access overseas buyers and investment, and to promote their brands overseas at the major fashion weeks internationally.

• Memorandum of Understanding for a partnership between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australian Fashion Chamber Limited
• Media release: Promoting Australia's creative economy
• Australian Fashion Chamber