Melbourne Fashion Week will return from 19 to 25 October, bringing seven premium runways, more than 600 looks and over 100 free and ticketed events to venues across the city.
This year’s M/FW theme, Wear the Moment, celebrates self-expression and Melbourne’s inclusive fashion scene, with more than 300 designers and retailers taking part across the program.
For the first time, the week will open at the National Gallery of Victoria, with the ganbu marra runway taking over Gandel Hall. Fashion will also return to the revamped City Square for two daytime runways showcasing designers and retailers based entirely within the City of Melbourne.
Other runway locations include State Library Victoria, 1 Hotel Melbourne and Kensington’s Younghusband.
More than 90 per cent of participating designers, models, students and retailers are from Melbourne, with the program supporting around 1,000 jobs.
Bianca Spender, búl, CLEA, Clothing The Gaps, ELK the Label, Gammin Threads, Grace Lillian Lee, Lucinda Babi, NGALI, Perple and Sean Rentero are among the featured names.
Fashion Capsules will run from 28 September to 25 October across five locations, with more than 30 local designers and creatives represented. The program will include a world-exclusive couture bridal collection from Raffaele Ciuca featuring Vivienne Westwood, Vera Wang, Steven Khalil and Nicole & Felicia.
More than 30 independent events will also join the program, including a dining and fashion experience at Pastuso, a sustainability conversation and clothing swap, an Amnesty International runway and the Emerging Artists Collective.
M/FW Conversations will return with industry discussions covering fashion business and the representation of women over 50, moderated by Virginia Trioli.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece said, “Melbourne is Australia’s fashion and culture capital, with self-expression at the heart of it – and we’re calling on everyone to embrace and wear the moment.”
Tickets go on sale from Wednesday 16 September, with the full program available here.
