Nicola Finetti

Nicola Finetti is an Italian-born Australian designer whose eponymous label has shaped modern fashion since 1995.

Nicola Finetti career journey and iconic runway moments at Australian Fashion Week

Nicola Finetti first entered the Australian fashion scene in 1997 with a collection titled “If You Go Down The Woods,” a show that featured sheer layered garments, crowns of slender branches, and giant perfumed lilies tied to the models’ wrists. That debut set the tone for a career defined by theatricality and femininity. Season after season, Nicola Finetti earned his reputation as Fashion Week’s resident frock star, delivering show-stopping pieces that combined elegance with a touch of edginess. His most memorable runway moment came in 2001, when he unveiled a dress with a corseted bodice and a full mid-calf skirt covered in 3,500 small pleated fans. The piece was so iconic that it later became part of an art experiment at the Powerhouse Museum, where it was dissolved in liquid acid as a statement on impermanence and fashion as art.

How Nicola Finetti dresses celebrities and defines structured femininity in every collection

Nicola Finetti has built a devoted celebrity clientele that includes Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Hawkins, Laura Dundovic, Mischa Barton, Naomi Watts, and Dita Von Teese. His womenswear is synonymous with structured femininity—luxurious, clever, quirky, and beautifully chic all at once. Each collection is designed for the glamorous woman who has the courage to be different. Nicola Finetti translates his architectural training into garments that balance clean lines with romantic silhouettes, creating pieces that feel both timeless and contemporary. His optical eyewear range and dresses are stocked nationally in David Jones department stores and boutiques around the world, making his vision accessible to women who seek sophistication without compromise.

From architecture in Rome to fashion stardom in Sydney—his creative evolution

Born in Bari, a town in Southern Italy, to a Yugoslavian mother and a native Italian father, Nicola Finetti originally studied architecture in Rome. He lived briefly in Italy before building his early design career in Buenos Aires. In 1982, he moved to Sydney, where he found it difficult to pursue architecture due to language barriers. The fashion industry, however, gained a new star. He began learning the trade under the guidance of Richard Tyler and Romeo Finetti in a co-owned boutique in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. This transition from architecture to fashion allowed him to bring a unique structural sensibility to garment design, one that continues to define his brand’s aesthetic.

Behind the label: inspiration drawn from tulips, travel, and a lifelong love of color

Nicola Finetti finds inspiration in unexpected places. Two years before one of his most celebrated collections, he visited the Tulip Festival in Canberra, where fields of tulips in blocks of color left a lasting impression. That experience became the foundation for a collection that celebrated color, pattern, and natural beauty. Outside of design, he is deeply interested in politics and environmental issues, including human, animal, and plant conditions. His all-time favorite place to travel for inspiration is South America, which he describes as full of colors, life, and natural energy. When asked about his biggest role model, he credits his mother—a testament to the personal values that underpin his creative work. Nicola Finetti continues to receive editorial coverage in major publications such as Vogue Australia, ELLE, Marie Claire, Oyster, and Harper’s Bazaar, ensuring his influence remains strong across generations.