fashion

Mary Fowler makes historic debut at Paris Fashion Week

Phoebe Blogg Published October 1, 2025 at 2.30pm (AWST)

Mary Fowler has made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week. (Image: Getty Images)

In a powerful celebration of women's empowerment, sisterhood and beauty, Matilda Mary Fowler made her Paris Fashion Week debut.

Fowler's appearance marked the first professional footballer and first L'Oréal Paris brand ambassador in Australia and New Zealand to walk the Paris Fashion Week runway.

The first athlete to be named a L'Oréal Paris Brand Ambassador in Australia and New Zealand in March last year, Fowler's presence on the runway was yet another significant achievement for the Matildas forward.

Reflecting on her debut, Fowler she was thrilled to have been provided with the opportunity.

"Stepping onto the runway was an exhilarating experience and different from anything I've experienced on the football pitch. To walk alongside such inspiring figures, representing L'Oréal Paris, reinforced my belief that beauty is about embracing who we truly are and the confidence that comes with it," she said.

"I hope every young woman watching, especially back home in Australia, felt that sense of empowerment and is inspired to embrace their individuality and walk with pride, knowing they are worth it."

*Mary Fowler with models on the Le Défilé L'Oréal Paris runway at Paris Fashion Week. (Image: Getty Images)*

*Mary Fowler on the Le Défilé L'Oréal Paris runway at Paris Fashion Week. (Image: Getty Images)*

Australian VIPs, including local L'Oréal Paris Woman of Worth, Riley Hemson, as well as Evelyn Ellis, Maddy Macrae, Victoria Burns and Ella Squire cheered Fowler on from the crowd.

The show was elegantly divided into three powerful acts, each offering a feminist twist on the iconic French national motto, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Equality, Fraternity: Act 1 | Liberte, Act 2 | Egalite & Act 3 | Sororite.

As part of its partnership with PFW, L'Oréal Paris supported several young designers by featuring their creations on the brand's ambassadors. Mary Fowler walked the runway in a black gown by Christian Siriano.

Le Défilé L'Oréal Paris was the showcase for extraordinary femininity and exquisite looks, once again proving to be an unmissable fashion week rendezvous.

Fowler's role as brand ambassador and presence on the runway was not only a reflection of greater representation surrounding people of colour, but a visual shift in how creative cross-industry collaborations can and will be executed in the years to come.

A replay of La Galerie L'Oréal Paris, a luxury Parisian shopping experience will be shown at 333 Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD this weekend.

Open to all, the two-day activation reimagines the elegance of a Parisian department store and will feature exclusive giveaways, consultations and masterclasses across skincare, makeup and haircare.

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