A fashion fusion: VAMFF 2016

Australia’s largest and longest running consumer-facing fashion event, the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF,  7-13 March 2016) is set to rock the socks off fashionistas all over town when it returns for its 20th incarnation. This time at a new venue: the Melbourne Museum Precinct, just a short walk from the city centre, the Festival will showcase more than 100 established and emerging designers within the grandeur of the heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building. And for the first time ever, three runways will be staged on one night.

Upping the anti on its always-outstanding fashion offer, this year the festival will present a month-long Cultural Program of more than 70 free and ticketed activities and events (13 February – 13 March 2016) across Melbourne, Regional Victoria and online. Must-attend events include:

Eat My Style (13 February – 13 March 2016)Local designers and award-winning dessert boutiques are set to team up to produce a range of fashion-inspired desserts that will be available in-stores from February 2016. Collaborators include: LifewithBird and X Bibelot; RACHELALEX and X Lux Bite; Emma Mulholland and X Zumbo and; Limedrop and X Burch & Purchese.

Fashion Film Series (13 February – 13 March 2016)RUSSH presents 10 Australian and three international fashion short films at leading moving-image venues including ACMI, Federation Square, Val Morgan Cinemas and online at russh.tv. This is the leading platform in Australia for the exposure and recognition of emerging and established film-makers in the local and global fashion industries.

Burrimbi Dulgu Bajal (Rainforest and Sea Dreaming) (4 March 2016)This creative fashion experience presented by the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) will showcase art, textiles, culture, adornment and performance by emerging Indigenous designers from Queensland’s far north at the The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Federation Square.

Fashion Writing Series (From 13 February 2016)The Fashion Writing Series Mentorship Program is designed to support creative talent within the writing, journalism and blogging communities, with the help of five experienced fashion writers/Editors. The consumer-facing Fashion Writing Series Workshops (6 March) will be hosted by experienced fashion writers and curators to offer valuable insights into the craft.

200 Years of Australian Fashion (5 March – 31 July 2016)The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square will present over 120 works from more than 90 designers in what is the first major survey of Australian fashion to be undertaken in this country. The work of contemporary designers such as Dion Lee, Ellery, Romance Was Born and Toni Maticevski will sit alongside exquisite examples of historic design.

Marilyn Monroe (5 March – 10 July 2016)Bendigo Art Gallery and Twentieth Century Fox present an exclusive international exhibition celebrating the life and glamour of Marilyn Monroe. The screen-star’s iconic film costumes, personal style, original photographs and ephemera will all be on display.

View the #VAMFFXX Fashion Film, celebrating the 20th Festival, here. Download the VAMFF 2016 InDetail media kit here.

Media enquiries: Jannah Flockhart at AMPR, +61 421 868 416, +61 3 9428 2299, jannah@ampr.com.au