On Thursday 5th December 2019 the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival 2020 program was launched by our Governor-General, the Honourable Linda Dessau at Government House. The highly anticipated ‘Fashion Wonderland’ presents a mode of expression for our creatives to showcase new trends for the upcoming season and raise awareness into topics such as slow fashion and the importance of why our clothing must be made from sustainable resources. Emerging designers also have an opportunity to showcase their design work and unlike already established designers they often forecast future fashion trends.
The Fashion Festival in 2020 will also encourage self-expression to all those attending and encourage us to break down stereotypes of what fashion norms should be. As seen and celebrated recently by GUCCI, Self-expression is a must. Gucci’s Alessandro Michele produced a campaign that bridged the gap between gender specifics and used people of all ages to model. Men were dressed in skirts paired with knee-high socks and blazers were worn over long tunics. VAMFF 20/20 is set to celebrate uniqueness, identifying with one’s self and raise awareness into self-expression.
The ‘Fashion Wonderland’ will be led by indigenous Australian model Charlee Fraser appearing alongside her will be several other talented, diverse and inspiring creatives in various locations around Melbourne that capture the true essence of this Festival.
Vamff will celebrate its 24th year and in March 2020 it’s set to be one of the biggest, and certainly the most joyful to date. It will feature a standout program of premium designer runways, talent award programs, tours, dining and retail experiences, workshops, spectacular interactive entertainment, the first International Women’s Day Long Weekend and the return of the inspiring Australian Fashion Summit.
Reflecting on the 2020 program, Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO, Graeme Lewsey, said the campaign theme will be present throughout each element of the Festival.
“In March 2020, Australia’s largest fashion event will be celebrating the industry that we love whilst delivering sheer joy and experiences that are a direct consequence of designing a festival for everyone to enjoy. It will be much more than a week of fashion in Melbourne. Guests at this Festival will experience “fashiontainment”, a sense of occasion, community spirit and wonderous human connections ignited by creativity.
The Gala Runway, presented by David Jones and supported by Vogue Australia (10 March), will remain the largest exclusive International and Australian designer line-up of the Festival; while the Virgin Australia Grand Showcase, presented by Marie Claire (12 March), will showcase the extraordinary talents of Toni Maticevski, one of Australia’s most successful and internationally renowned designers. The MATICEVSKI collection showcased at the Festival will be coming straight from the runways of Paris.
The 2020 Festival will span 11 fashion-filled days and offer a range of travel bundles and fashion experiences in collaboration with Virgin Australia and Visit Victoria for people to come together to be both informed and inspired. Several exciting program announcements and highlights will follow this announcement into the new year in 2020.
Written by Melinda Sullivan
Photography Sam Tabone
Thanks to AMPR
Further information and tickets on sale now at https://vamff.com.au/
