The Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival Ltd. (VAMFF), the not-‐for-‐profit organisation that owns and delivers the nation’s largest consumer focused fashion, beauty and business event, today unveiled the highly anticipated program that will take place this March, promising consumers a inspiring fashion experience and sensory overload.
The world-‐class event is set to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from Victoria, across Australia and around the world, to attend a full schedule of Cultural Program events running from 1-‐31 March and the Festival’s core program of Runway and Business Events will take place from 17-‐23 March.
The Festival runways are where Australia’s leading ready-‐to-‐wear designers present collections to not only be critiqued by industry and peers, but most importantly viewed by thousands of discerning consumers all ready and willing to ‘shop the runway’.
This designer line up in 2014 is premium and second to none with over 100 designers showing including; Bec & Bridge, Christina Exie, Discount, Dorota, Emma Mulholland, Finders Keepers, Jagger, Kahlo, Kathryn Beker, Keepsake, macgraw, Neo Dia, Cameo, Tululah and Wild.Horses making a Festival debut alongside a stable of unparalleled designers listed below in alphabetical order:
Alice McCall, Arthur Galan, Aurelio Costarella, Bassike, Bec & Bridge, Bianca Spender, búl, Carla Zampatti, Christopher Esber, Dorota, Easton Pearson, Ellery, Ginger and Smart, Gorman, Hardwick, Jolet, Josh Goot, Kahlo, Kate Sylvester, Kuwaii, Leonard Street, Life with Bird, Limedrop, Livia Arena, Lui Hon, Maticevski, Megan Park, Michael Lo Sordo, Rachel Gilbert, Rodeo Show, Sass & Bide, Scanlan Theodore, Secret South, Shakuhachi, Strateas.Carlucci, Trelise Cooper, Willow, Yeojin Bae and YB J’Aime by Yeojin Bae.
It is with great delight that the Festival welcome back to the runway established Australian favourites Alex Perry, Alpha60, camilla and marc and Thurley further cementing the Festival’s position as the country’s leading consumer driven retail platform.
Supported by Minister Asher, “The Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival puts Australia’s fashion industry on a global stage and showcases Melbourne as one of the world’s premier cities for retail and design.”
“The Festival plays a critical role in stimulating retail spend, developing local skills and encouraging tourism to Victoria,” Minister Asher continued.
Graeme Lewsey, Festival CEO, expressed his confidence in the 2014 program.
“I am delighted to reveal a full program of free and ticketed events for everyone to enjoy. Each event is produced within the utter most artistic integrity and is easily accessible to consumers.
Developing engaging creative fashion and cultural events, and a program of seminars that tackle economic challenges, has been a feat that we at the Festival are truly proud. The program will awaken the senses, and expose consumers to new ideas, promising a love and appreciation for our Australian fashion industry,’ said Lewsey.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
OPENING EVENT & VIP PARTY PRESENTED BY DAVID JONES AND SUPPORTED BY VOGUE AUSTRALIA
The Festival will launch with a magical runway event for over three thousand guests set to witness the largest designer line-‐up of the Festival. Guests will experience a flawlessly orchestrated runway featuring collections from leading Australian designers. The Opening Event presented by David Jones and supported by Vogue Australia will be the most fashionable party of the year with an impressive
opening show featuring collections from many of David Jones’ top Australian designers including Josh Goot, Christopher Esber, Camilla and Marc, Ginger & Smart, Rachel Gilbert plus many more.
GRAND SHOWCASE FEATURING CAMILLA PRESENTED BY AMP CAPITAL SHOPPING CENTRES AND SUPPORTED BY SUNDAY STYLE
A highlight of the Festival this year will be the debut of the ‘Grand Showcase’, a runway presentation in a class of its own that borrows from the world’s best production teams, stylists, beauty directors and models. Most importantly, it celebrates the extraordinary talents of one of Australia’s most successful and globally recognised designers, Camilla Franks.
ON THE RUNWAY
Over one hundred established and emerging Australian designers will take to the world-‐class runway, designed to entertain and enthral thousands of discerning fashion lovers. And most importantly, what consumers witness sashaying down the runway will be available to buy immediately, show after show.
Programmed highlights this season include; seven Premium Runway shows presented by Australia’s leading fashion publications and the Independent Runway presenting Australian contemporary designers with an independent spirit, unique vision and unwavering sense of daring come together in an eclectic runway that demonstrates that creativity has no boundaries.
Shopping takes on another dimension with an expanded ‘Famous For Fashion’ series staged within the City of Stonnington including style edits from two iconic locations within the illustrious shopping precinct, The Chapel Street Edit, The Boutique Edition and a ‘Festival High Tea’ hosted by Dilmah and Australian Women’s Weekly.
There is a program of solo pop-‐up events as part of the Festival’s annual ‘Offsite Runway Series’ reinventing the runway to support the unique creative visions of participating designers including Amber Alexis, Article, Nixi Killick, Viktoria + Woods and many more.
Running alongside the runways will be the ‘L’Oréal Paris Boutique’ as well as a brand new ‘L’Oréal Paris and Shop Til You Drop Beauty Workshop’. There will also be a series of on-‐site entertainment precincts accessible to all ticket-‐holders and the Festival welcomes back the ‘Rekordelig Fashion Lounge’ and the Festival’s red carpet, ‘Virgin Australia VIP Lounge’.
NURTURING EMERGING TALENT
The Festival is a champion of emerging Australian design talent and has strong established platforms to support the future of the industry.
The esteemed ‘Tiffany & Co. National Designer Award’ supported by Harper’s Bazaar continues to encourage excellence within the Australian fashion industry and is one of the Festival’s most treasured premium events.
The Festival’s support of emerging talent will continue with the return of the National Graduate Showcase presented by Target nurturing new crops of designers at a tertiary level providing real-‐life industry experience invaluable to any emerging artist.
The introduction of a brand new initiative, Future Runway presented by Spotlight is providing early encouragement to secondary students state-‐wide who show unique fashion design talents and drive.
CULTURAL
The Festival’s Cultural Program is rich with fashion-‐inspired free and ticketed activities that extend far beyond the runway. Diverse, exciting and often surprising, the Cultural Program runs for the whole month of March and invites fashion-‐loving audiences to revel in the range of experiences on offer.
The curated program offers over 100 unique and stimulating exhibitions, talks, workshops, online content and other activities that celebrate and redefine fashion through art, design, film and innovation.
BUSINESS
The Festival presents an internationally recognised series of events for design-‐led, consumer facing and service orientated businesses at the Business Event Series.
With several thousand delegates in attendance across five events, the Business Seminar presented by The State Government of Victoria, Westfield and supported by Wish Magazine; the Marketing Breakfast presented by Deloitte and supported by Marketing Magazine and three Fashion Industry Forums presented by Colonial First State Global Asset Management, feature presentations from international and Australian industry innovators, each session will leave professionals inspired, informed and ahead of the game with new networks and ideas.
The full Festival program is available and on sale to the general public through Ticketek or online at the new Festival website VAMFF.com.au. Sign up to the Festival’s electronic newsletter to be the first to receive all the latest program updates and premium seating exclusives.
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