Just weeks after graduating from TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio, Manly fashion designer Tate Boswarva has launched her label, ATTÈ, on the prestigious Australian Fashion Week runway.
The 21-year-old was one of four graduate designers from TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio (FDS) selected to showcase their 12-look collection at The Innovators runway show on 13 May. It’s the same platform that helped launch the careers of Australian fashion heavyweights like Zimmermann, Akira, Anna Quan, Bianca Spender, Christopher Esber, Ginger and Smart, and Romance Was Born.
Tate Boswarva's designs on the AFW runway
Supported by Seamless and Redken, the showcase highlighted emerging designers redefining Australian fashion through sustainability, craftsmanship, and innovation.
Boswarva said being on the Australian Fashion Week runway was a “dream come true.”
“It’s a huge milestone and something I have been working towards throughout my studies,” she said. “Fashion has always been a part of my life. From a young age I was sewing, including working with semi-industrial machines and understanding how garments are constructed.”
Tate was the People’s Choice winner for Design at Curl Curl Creative Space in 2024 in the Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize. Her entry then was wearable art that challenges over consumption, fast-fashion and the impact of plastic waste.
Tate's earliest fashion memories were shaped by her close family friend’s designs, made with care and storytelling at their core. At TAFE NSW Ultimo, she built on that foundation, developing strong technical skills, confidence and her own design voice.
Bowarva now works from her home studio in Manly, balancing casual design assistant work at Zimmermann.
Tate Boswarva in the Muse Gallery studio
“My design work is defined by material experimentation and textile artistry.” Boswarva said. “One of my main techniques is using water-soluble bases. I sew extensively onto the base, and once it dissolves, what remains is a lacelike structure that cannot be bought off the roll. I also heavily bead fabrics and explore a range of sustainable techniques that I learned during my studies at TAFE NSW FDS.
“Fashion is also how I communicate ideas around the female body, sustainability, and lived experience. One of my designs incorporates contraceptive blister packs cut into small bead-like forms with gold foil interiors used as delicate decorative detail.”
Co-Head Teacher of TAFE NSW FDS, Laura Washington, said the Bachelor of Fashion Design focused on equipping students with the practical skills needed to work in a rapidly changing industry.
“Training in new technology, materials innovation, waste management, and sustainable production is embedded throughout the course,” she said. “We’re excited to see our graduates contribute to a fashion industry that is socially, ethically, environmentally, and economically accountable.”
Alongside participating in Australian Fashion Week, the four graduate designers will undertake a a 10-month TAFE Statement in The Next Garde Fashion Incubator, including access to dedicated studio space, tailored mentoring, and industry-supported technology through CLO — a 3D fashion design software program allowing designers to further develop their collections with digital precision while supporting sustainable practices by minimising physical sampling.
Tate Boswarva second on right with FDS graduates on AFW runway
ABOUT TAFE NSW FASHION DESIGN STUDIO
With a rich legacy as Sydney’s first dedicated fashion design studio, TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio (FDS) is widely recognised as a leader in fashion education within Australia and abroad. TAFE NSW FDS has been the launchpad for some of the country’s most influential fashion design talent that as shaped the future of the Australian fashion industry.
This year marks 27 years of launching emerging fashion designers into the industry with with an impressive list of alumni including Zimmermann, Akira, Anna Quan, Bianca Spender, Christopher Esber, Ginger and Smart, Romance Was Born, Michael Lo Sordo, and Hansen and Gretel.