Natalie Bassingthwaighte to make runway debut at Melbourne Fashion Week

From rocking out on stage, to treading the boards and now walking the catwalk, Natalie Bassingthwaighte is living her best life in the lead up to her milestone birthday this year.

From rocking out on stage, to treading the boards and now walking the catwalk, Natalie Bassingthwaighte is living her best life.

Debuting as a runway model certainly wasn’t on the singer and actor’s bingo card as she turns 50 this year.

But that is exactly why Bassingthwaighte says she jumped at the chance to sashay down the runway for Melbourne Fashion Festival in her role with Luxury Escapes, closing the Resort Glam show in a black silk and lace dress from Third Form on Wednesday night.

Nat Bassingthwaighte is making her catwalk debut on the Luxury Escape Resort Runway. Picture: Jason Edwards

“I said that I wanted to do 50 things before 50 and this is just one of them.

“Modelling for the first time, on a runway at a fashion festival, aghhh,” Bassingthwaighte laughed before the show.

“But I’m excited and making the most of it.”

Taking a leaf out of her Shirley Valentine character, who she is soon playing in theatres around the country after a successful Melbourne run, the mulit-talented performer says she is embracing making the most of life, choosing to constantly evolve and reinvent herself.

The musician and actor never is dedicated to making the most of life in the lead up to her 50th birthday. Picture: Jason Edwards

“It’s rewarding and terrifying but that’s what it is all about isn’t it, challenging yourself.”

Bassingthwaighte is not the only “civilian” with star power to take to the catwalk this week. Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp will also make her own runway debut in the F*** The Invisible runway, embracing women in their 50s, 60s and 70s on Friday, while AFL players from Jack Ginnivan to Tayla Harris show their off-field talent on Saturday night.

Fairytale continues for Preston designer

When US Vogue earmarked Preston designer Amy Lawrence as a designer to watch last year she thought she was dreaming.

But the fairytale continued this week after the eponymous label was announced as the winner of the National Graduate Designer Award, putting her firmly in the category of new frontier of Australian fashion.

Her ethereal other worldly creations which floated down the runway the Royal Exhibition Building on Tuesday night are like from a dream itself, some pieces taking hours of painstaking hand sewn needlework in her makeshift studio from her Preston home.

“I’m often working in isolation and to be able to put it out into the world for other eyes to see is a really lovely moment that I don’t often have,” Lawrence told the Herald Sun.

The other worldly creations are hand sewn at the designer’s Preston home studio. Picture: Supplied

“This is a reaffirmation and also to have some money behind it. It makes me feel a bit more self-assured and it gives me a bit of impetus to keep pushing myself out there.”

While we can think of high-end designers working with an entourage and team, the actuality of getting a foot into the door and a platform is sheer grit and determination.

Lawrence works at home on her custom pieces and collection often well into the night, in between working part-time as a design consultant and teacher at RMIT where she completed her honours in fashion design.

Her partner built her a pattern-making table and she has an industrial sewing machine inside her “modest Preston home” where she toils away on the pared back fabrics and undyed silks.

She created her brand – think beautifully created dresses, thoughtful craftsmanship, the antithesis of fast fashion – in the middle of Melbourne’s lockdowns.

Amy Lawrence made her runway debut at Australian Fashion Week. Picture: Supplied

Amy Lawrence was announced as the winner of National Graduate Designer Award. Picture: Supplied

Her runway debut at Australian Fashion Week as the winner of the Next Gen designer has just been cemented with the prestigious award with David Jones, winning a cash prize of $20,000 on Tuesday night.

“Amy Lawrence’s dedication to creating something of absolute beauty, originality and refinement is testament to her original vision and focus on slow fashion practices.

“The National Designer Award x David Jones is Australia’s longest running and most esteemed fashion award, defining the future of so many Australian designers,” MFF CEO Caroline Ralphsmith said adding the award marks a significant turning point in a designer’s career, with past winners including Alèmais (2022), Christopher Esber (2012), Dion Lee (2010), Haulier (2024), Romance Was Born (2009), Song for the Mute (2014), Strateas Carlucci (2014) and Toni Maticevski (2002).

Designer Amy Lawrence says she didn’t expect to win the coveted award on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

“I am still a little bit speechless and I didn’t expect it,” Lawrence said of taking home the prize on Tuesday night with her partner and mum as her guests for the Melbourne Fashion Festival event after being up against other Australian designers to watch, including Alix Higgins, Amelia Mather of Boteh, Anna Pipkorn of Lovaan Studios, Christopher Hrysanidis, Isabelle Hellyer of All is a Gentle Spring, Jackie Galleghan of Madre Natura, Jude Ng of Jude, Liandra Gaykamangu of Liandra, and Saskia Baur-Schmid of Hyph-n.

“I had a little tipple but was home by 9:30 and eating pizza on the couch,” she laughed.

Now she is straight back in the studio. But one thing is certain you will be hearing plenty more of Amy Lawrence.