Australia has never had a creativity problem. We’re world-class at the aesthetics – sun-faded tailoring, functional beauty, irreverent elegance. It’s no wonder our designers are embraced overseas, or that global eyes turn to Sydney this month for Australian Fashion Week. But while the world sees style, many of us on the inside see something else: the fault lines beneath the gloss.

There’s a familiar story that plays out. A designer builds a cult following, maybe lands a celebrity co-sign, wins awards, expands abroad – and then, suddenly, the business folds. Dion Lee is a recent example of what happens when creative brilliance collides with a lack of commercial scaffolding. It’s not about talent. It’s about what happens after the applause.