Paris, London, New York, Milan... the fashion capitals of the world capture the imaginations of fashion graduates everywhere, not least Brisbane. Queensland University of Technology's Creative Industries Precinct is always a hive of activity, particularly during November, as the graduates of the intense three-year Bachelor degree in Fine Arts (Fashion) prepare to showcase their graduate collections.

It's not only new graduates, however, who are excited about what's now coming out of Brisbane. From barely more than a large country town only one generation ago, Brisbane is slowly gaining credibility on the national fashion map. Established names such as Easton Pearson, sass and bide and Paul Hunt, among myriad emerging designers, have helped put the spotlight on one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. With increasing interest in Brisbane designers, there can be little doubt over the seismic shift in the centre of gravity of the Australian fashion scene, as it moves slowly north from the established heartlands of Melbourne and Sydney.

With an unbeatable climate and quality of life, the region is attracting a relatively affluent population. Suzi Vaughan, Portfolio Director of Fashion, Journalism, Media and Communication in QUT's Creative Industries Faculty, is an avid supporter of the city she now calls home. "I think that Brisbane is becoming more conscious of its potential as a creative city," she says.

Leaving the UK five years ago, Vaughan initially moved to Brisbane to take up the position of Head of Fashion at QUT in 2002. The prospect of heading an unprecedented degree course was exciting and challenging. "Brisbane seemed largely to be a blank sheet of paper in terms of the future and where it could be placed internationally," she says. Having worked abroad, and having studied fashion at the renowned Central St Martins College in London, Vaughan's contributions to Brisbane fashion are widely recognised through her founding of Queensland's only degree course in Fashion.

Georgina Safe, fashion editor of The Australian, agrees that Brisbane fashion is on the rise. "It's no longer about bras and bikinis," she told fashion journalism students whilst in Brisbane for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival in September. "And the woman who in the long term will do more for Brisbane fashion than any retail development or shoe shop is Suzi Vaughan."

QUT's fashion degree is already turning out some fine graduates, Safe said, remarking that "in another five years they may well be championing a new Brisbane style to the nation, and perhaps further afield". Vaughan couldn't agree more. "Within five years we've undoubtedly had national and international impact," she states quite frankly.

Indeed, scanning the list of where past graduates are now gives a fair indication of the reach of the course. Many have found their way to London, working in trend research, visual merchandising, PR and graphic design. After completing a fashion internship in Paris, award-winning Carla Bergs is now Creative Director of a Parisian fashion golf company. In Australia, Anna McIntosh was the first ever female menswear designer employed by Quiksilver (she is now a menswear designer for Canterbury). Some of her fellow classmates are now product developers and buyers for Australian companies such as Billabong and Colorado. There are those pursuing further studies both here and overseas, while others have pursued styling careers: such as Sarah Babcock, who works for Sony and independent music artists, as well as crafting the look of multi-ARIA nominated singer Kate Miller-Heidke.

With strong representation at national competitions and fashion festivals, graduates with their own labels are fast stitching a name for themselves on the national fashion scene. George Wu's couture pieces now hang alongside exclusive international labels in esteemed boutiques in LA and New York, in various high-end stores around the country, and in his own concept store in Brisbane's TCB centre. John Prikryl, of menswear label Check, was recently awarded the Central Queensland University Career Achievement Award during the Queensland Young Achievers Awards on the Gold Coast. Prikryl has shown his collections at the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festivals and this year's MBFF, also selling through his own store in the TCB building.

And if you haven't heard of Gail Sorronda by now, look no further than your nearest billboard for the latest star of the Designers for Target range. Following in the footsteps of Stella McCartney and Josh Goot, this phenomenal young designer is reaching a whole new audience nationally, whilst also opening her own concept store in the TCB. In five years, Gail Sorronda designer Gail Reid has shown and sold her collections at fashion weeks in London, New York, Berlin and LA and has just wrapped up a debut exhibition at Paris Fashion Week.

On the verge of his own label debut, current QUT Honours student in Fashion Nicholas Wilsdon was the inaugural winner of the recent MBFF Australian Graduate of the Year Award, with fellow QUT graduate Dani Klein receiving special commendation. This 'battle of the colleges' showcased the work of the top 12 students nationwide, making it a unique platform to expose Queensland design to that of the nation's other key institutions, and to acknowledge different strengths. As Vaughan says, "I believe Brisbane fashion has a freshness that makes it very appealing, and I believe that the cutting [of garments] that is coming out of QUT is world class".

With its fourth set of graduates poised to step out into the world, the ever-developing and dynamic Bachelor of Fine Arts (Fashion) is building on an inspirational foundation. "We're developing a growing network both here and overseas through compulsory work placements, and there is an ongoing relationship with David Jones and Thea Basiliou of Blonde Venus that is incredibly valuable," Vaughan states. There are now PHD, Honours and Masters students all excelling in their research and development of fashion. With Brisbane's star on the rise, Queensland is setting the stage for a fashion legacy of fresh young innovation on the global fashion stage.