The Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF) puts Melbourne on the world stage for one mad week of runway shows, industry forums, and streetstyle photographers snapping away. The Plus Ones were lucky to attend three very different events across the week. We had the most stylish time of our lives.
Premium Runway 2
Everything about my first time at VAMFF was perfect. I waltzed up to Central Pier in Docklands with just enough time to dart into the Priceline pop-up for a makeup touchup (and giftbag) before Frankie Magazine‘s Premium Runway 2. The setup was phenomenal: Hordes of beautiful people thronged the immense runway. A live band, waitstaff handing out mini San Pellegrino juices — and that was before the clothes went down the runway. Alpha60, Bul, Gorman, Kloke, Kuwaii, and Limedrop all took a turn to parade eminently wearable fashions. The models’ fishtailed and plaited tresses worked with everything. And I loved seeing Indigenous model Samantha Willis strutting her stuff. My standout piece of the night? The magenta coat from Bul, a breathtaking splash of colour.
– Theresa
Runway 2 models enjoying their braids – photo courtesy Lucas Dawson Photography
live music before Runway 2 – photo courtesy Lucas Dawson Photography
Bul’s standout coat – photo courtesy Lucas Dawson Photography
Fashion Industry Forum 2
Some of the biggest names in local and international fashion came together for an intimate and informative Fashion Industry Forum 2 as part of VAMFF’s Business Events Series. Stylists Catherine Baba and Pip Edwards and designers Jemma Dyas (of Être Cécile) and Matt Jensen (of MJ Bale) challenged, inspired, advised and shared their years of fashion expertise.
If you’re a budding fashion designer, it can seem a daunting task to stay afloat in the competitive and fast-paced fashion industry. With so much to take care of, how do you know what to prioritise? What’s really important? The verdict:
- Be cautious of the trade-off between creativity and commerciality.
- Identify your unique niche and do your research. Stay market savvy, ensuring you know and constantly respond to your customer, their lifestyle and their needs, and set yourself apart from the rest by endeavouring to be a specialist, not a generalist.
- Most importantly, aim to create a brand DNA — a unique, authentic label that reflects both the designer and those it’s designed for, and be sure to enjoy the creative process.
– Anoosha
Anoosha is a blogger, writer, and obsessive tea-drinker.
industry panel – photo courtesy Lucas Dawson Photography
Catherine Baba – photo courtesy Lucas Dawson Photography
GQ Australia Menswear Runway
Virgin Australia’s Fashion Week is one slick operation. I can’t imagine the amount of planning that goes into putting on an event of this scale. The GQ Menwear Runway was one of the feature pieces of the festival, and Melbourne’s beautiful people were out in force. Designers on show ranged from Bassike to Vanishing Elephant, and all the models were smoking! I ventured backstage by accident (I followed the wrong people, I swear) and saw a piece of the action before the show. There was a nervous energy about the place and everyone was excited. The runway itself looked spectacular.
– Ruki
Men’s Runway – photo courtesy Lucas Dawson Photography
Men’s Runway – photo courtesy Lucas Dawson Photography
Men’s Runway backstage – photo courtesy Lucas Dawson Photography
We tweeted, we giftbagged, we Instagrammed. There was so much to love about VAMFF: how gorgeous everyone was, crowd and models alike. The top-notch production quality. And the chance to see the best in Australian fashion. New York, Paris, Milan: eat your heart out.
– Theresa, Ruki, Anoosha
