At Australian Fashion Week in Sydney, stylist Jamie Azzopardi, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, made a notable entrance at Carriageworks. On Monday, Azzopardi arrived wearing an elaborate gown accompanied by assistants who helped manage the details of the attire. This entrance sparked criticism from "Married At First Sight" star Carolina Santos, who expressed her disdain on social media, questioning the necessity and spectacle of such an entrance, likening it to something one might see at the Met Gala.
Azzopardi responded to Santos’s comments on Tuesday via Instagram stories, defending their assistants' professionalism and explaining that the gown's handling was to honor the designer and avoid damage on a semi-wet floor. Azzopardi also pointed out that Santos had previously sought their styling advice for last year’s Fashion Week, suggesting her public criticism contradicted her private actions.
The incident has highlighted varying perspectives on fashion presentation and the role of celebrity at such events, with some insiders expressing a desire to distance the fashion week from reality TV personalities.