Nicole Miller Brings Fashion with Purpose to Sydney

A fashion icon is heading Down Under and she’s bringing a new kind of runway with her.

Nicole Miller

Legendary New York designer , Nicole Miller  will visit Australia for the first time as Honorary Headline Designer for  My Charity Runway, a visionary new fashion-for-impact platform connecting emerging Australian designers with the causes they care about.

On  28 August, the inaugural My Charity Runway event will take over Doltone House Heritage Wharf on Sydney Harbour, celebrating a curated selection of emerging female Australian designers, each with a meaningful story behind the cause they support.

Miller will showcase pieces from her ‘living archive’, alongside never-before-seen designs from an upcoming collection. The designer, who famously popularised the little black dress in the ’90s, has dressed A-listers including  Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and Cyndi Lauper. At 74, she shows no signs of slowing down, having recently headlined New York’s Fashion Forward Week with an AI Virtual Fitting Room. Her Sydney itinerary is equally energetic, with plans for the Sydney Harbour Bridge ‘Bridge Climb’ and Sydney Mini Marathon.

“Fashion has always been about creativity, optimism, and bringing people together,” says Miller. “That’s why I’m excited to be part of My Charity Runway. It’s a celebration of great design with a purpose.”

Sarah Quinn

The sentiment sits at the heart of the platform, founded by fundraiser and fashion advocate  Sarah Quinn, who has led teams raising more than  $380 million  for Australian charities.

Quinn’s vision is to create a new form of ethical fashion, one where fashion, giving and meaningful causes intersect. Every item sold through the  My Charity Runway Shop  from the showcased collections will generate a  15% donation  to the designer’s chosen charity.

Some collections take that purpose even further.  Styled Collective  has created three couture pieces for  Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre, tracing a journey from the darkness of domestic violence to resilience, strength and survival. For  The DANII Foundation,  Just Audrey  explores living with Type 1 diabetes through designs that discreetly accommodate insulin pumps.

These may be emerging designers, but they’re certainly not without credentials.  House of Jaise, led by legally blind designer Julie Jaise, has appeared at New York Fashion Week;  Oh So Troppy’s Angelique Sloss  has been featured in British Vogue; while footwear designer  Yael Star of Edward Meller  has appeared on the Carla Zampatti runway at Australian Fashion Week.

With international models, designers and VIP guests flying in from around the world, My Charity Runway aims to bring the glamour and excitement of Paris and Milan runways to Sydney, while opening traditionally invite-only experiences to a wider audience.

For Quinn, this is only the beginning. The long-term vision is for My Charity Runway Shop to evolve into a retail platform, both online and through department stores such as David Jones, creating greater visibility and ongoing opportunities for designers, charities, students and brands.

My Charity Runway takes place 28 August at Doltone House Heritage Wharf, Sydney Harbour. Limited tickets are available via mycharityrunway.com.au.