Paris. London. New York. Milan. And…Melbourne.Just because we’re on the opposite side of the planet to the fashion capitals doesn’t mean we can’t put on a world-class Fashion Week.

Re-launched and re-vamped this year as the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF), we have the lowdown on how to live your most stylish life — at least during the week the festival lasts.

Where to start? You can listen to BusinessChic.com’s podcast, where she and her partner at Melbourne in Fashion interviewed VAMFF CEO’s Graeme Lewsey. But you’re here for the events, right?

The Plus Ones’ top five picks for the 2014 Melbourne Fashion Festival:

1. Mon. 17 March: Opening Event with David Jones – the catwalk will be going crazy in front of 3,000 guests during the opening-night gala event ($79)
2. Tues. 18 March: Memoirs of a Fictionatrix presented by Mimco – haven’t gotten your fill of runway shows after last night? Great, then you’ll want to head down to Mimco’s event ($50)
3. Fri. 21 March: The Iconic Runway Presents River Island – the favourite of the British high street (and me, when I lived in the U.K.), River Island is gracing Australia’s shores. Plus, The Iconic debuts three-hour shipping in Melbourne ($25)
4. Sat. 22 March: L’Oréal Paris & SHOP Til You Drop Beauty Workshop – tired of always hitting up the M.A.C. counter any time you want a makeover? Learn from the L’Oréal experts, and walk away with a $100 gift bag ($39)
5. Sat. 22 March: The Boutique High Tea & The Boutique Edition Runway Show – what a fitting way to round off your stylish week, with an uber-fancy afternoon of high tea and a fashion show. That’s how you do it, ladies ($85)

Make sure to check out Time Out Melbourne and Voxfrocks‘ top picks, too, for additional events springing up all over. (Our standout: The Spirit of Fashion Illustration workshop with The Patsyfox Drawing Salon on the 15th.)

You can also buff up on the comprehensive VAMFF coverage by fellow bloggers Style Melbourne and Ruby Slipper, so that you can be the most well-informed fashionista in Melbourne.

Last year, 380,000 people attended the festival. Will you be one of them in 2014?

-Theresa