Australia, insurance, car, home, live, holidays

Melbourne Fashion Festival director Caroline Ralphsmith (wearing Sydney label Michael Lo Sordo) with models Jay Coolahan (wearing Reigner) and Clare Walker (wearing Paul McCann).Credit:Simon Schluter

“I feel we need more time to get international events in place,” says festival chief executive Caroline Ralphsmith,who started in the role in August. “We would love to get more international exposure,and I’m looking forward to bringing it back next year.”

Past summits have featured the billionaire founder of the Diesel fashion label Renzo Rosso,Lady Gaga’s stylist Nicola Formichetti,and body-positivity advocate and supermodel Ashley Graham. Last year festival organisers shifted the summit date to July before cancelling it.

“If the summit returns,it will be part of the main festival,” Ralphsmith says.

Fashion writer Glynis Traill-Nash hosted the last in-person panel discussion in 2020,before the COVID-19 lockdown prematurely ended that year’s festival.

“The sharing of knowledge and ideas that came through the event has been invaluable to the Australian industry,” Traill-Nash says. “There has been no other event in Australia that consistently brought this level of business insight together.”

Co-founder of Shoes of Prey and author ofReboot,Jodie Fox participated in the business seminar,attended by industry leaders and streamed to fashion students.

“The calibre of the people Melbourne Fashion Festival put together was remarkable,with Renzo Rosso,Fern Mallis[former executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America],Nicola Formicetti,and served as an introduction point for learning and inspiration,” Fox says.

Smaller seminars at this year’s festival are still being finalised.

“We are making sure there is room for discussion and debate,” Ralphsmith says. “We will have a business-to-business event where topics can be covered over an extended lunch.”

This year the main program of ticketed runway shows returns to the Royal Exhibition Building,following a temporary relocation to Fed Square,where Ralphsmith was previously chief executive.

South Australian designer Paul Vasileff will bring his fairytale dresses across the state border for the Designer Showcase of his Paolo Sebastian label in the historic building,following in the footsteps of Carla Zampatti,Dion Lee and Maticevski.

“We really wanted to have somebody who was extraordinarily impressive and visually suggestive showing. A show that will attract people and get them excited,” Ralphsmith says. “There will be different moments for different designers.”

Paolo Sebastian designs at the Vogue Runway show at the Melbourne Fashion Festival in 2020. Vogue will no longer sponsor the opening show.Credit:Getty Images

Outside the Royal Exhibition Building,a Fashion Forecourt will be constructed with dining options while outposts of Melbourne restaurants Cutler&Co,Cumulus,Gimlet and Marion offer corporate hospitality. The fashion part is still being finalised.

“We are working on how we can bring in a fashion element,” Ralphsmith says. “A lot of it is to do with budgets.”

David Jones,which traditionally held a Gala Runway as part of the festival,launching their new season collections,will now host an in-store show.

Global payments company PayPal is the event’s naming sponsor and will host the festival’s closing show,featuring the work of Australian Fashion Week stand-out,Sydney designer Jordan Gogos and Aboriginal artist Paul McCann.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a transition year,” Ralphsmith says. “It’s a consolidation. We are ready for people to come out and see what floats their boat and hoping that we get to celebrate in a fulsome way.”

Tickets for the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival,March 3-11,are now on sale,melbournefashionfestival.com.au

Make the most of your health,relationships,fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter.Get it in your inbox every Monday.

License this article

Melbourne Fashion Festival