Melbourne showcases winter fashion
From the Paris to the Target end of town, fashion trends for winter will be showcased at the Melbourne Fashion Festival this week. Seven Paris runway shows will feature some of Australia’s leading designers, including Toni Maticevski, Jayson Brunsdon and sass and bide. Target will launch its new international designer collection on the festival’s final day.
Opening with an invitation-only party at Government House on Sunday, the festival’s public Paris runway shows will this year be held on a custom built catwalk at the Docklands Central Pier. The first Paris runway show on Monday night features designers including Brunsdon, Leona Edmiston and Ginger Smart. Collections such as Lisa Ho will be shown at Prahran Town Hall, while the Paris Beauty Workshop will be on Thursday at the Sofitel in Melbourne.
The festival is different from those of New York, Milan, Paris and London fame, in that it launches the clothes for the season ahead to the public, rather than to fashion buyers and designers. Festival director Karen Webster said the annual festival made fashion accessible to every day fashion fans. Ms Webster said the new catwalk at the restored Central Pier was inspired by London’s Tate Museum and had high ceilings, exposed trusses, floor-to-ceiling windows and a chandelier 66 metres long.
“From Central Pier you see Melbourne from a unique angle visually,” Ms Webster said. “From the ‘Sketch’ room guests will have an amazing view of the Bolte Bridge and the sun as it sets over Melbourne.” Last year’s popular Pop Up fashion catwalks will also pop up again around the city from City Square to Federation Square and the MCG. There will also be a youth catwalk show and an independent runway launching new designers. The festival last year attracted more than 230,0000 people.