Nicholas Huxley

Nicholas Huxley was born and brought up in Papua New Guinea as one of five boys. His mother worked as a correspondent for the ABC and his father was managing editor of the Times Courier newspaper. Huxley began his training in 1973 at East Sydney Technical College’s Fashion Design course, now TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio, and after a few years in the industry, began teaching at the same institution until his retirement as head teacher in 2018.

He has been a teacher, mentor and studio presence for notable designers including Akira Isogawa, Alex Perry, Nicky Zimmermann, Lisa Ho, Dion Lee, Romance Was Born and Academy Award nominated Costume Designer Janet Patterson. He was instrumental in developing showcase opportunities for students at Australian Fashion Week and Strand Arcade runway shows.

In his youth, during their Australian tours, Nicholas befriended the likes of Bette Davis and Zsa Zsa Gabor, for whom he tailored a purple wool pencil skirt and jacket. As an active designer he has worked in film, TV, fashion magazines creating illustrations for Elle, Vogue and Marie Claire, and dressed film star Nicole Kidman.

In 1989 Nicholas was nominated for an AFI award for Costumes for Sons of Steel and has won two Fashion Industry of Australia awards. He has received nine nominations for the NSW Government Fashion Laureate Award and a nomination for the Fashion Group International Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also served on a number of design juries and design-based committees including the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards in 2017.

In 2015, Nicholas was invited by Miami Dade College to assist them in establishing the Miami Fashion Institute, which offers a degree course and he has been a supporter of the Fiji/Pacific Islands Fashion Week since its inception. He travels extensively and is an avid collector of jewellery, clothing, art and decorative objects. His first solo art exhibition was held at Maunsell Wicks in 2018.