Melbourne Fashion Festival: Front row gossip from most fashionable week of the year
Hairy legged models, fashionably late entrances and Nadia’s grounded plane fiasco— here’s the skinny from the most fashionable event of year.
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It’s been a big week on the FROW for Melbourne’s sartorial set.
Retailer David Jones is a big player in the festivities, kicking off their Autumn/Winter season with a much hyped Megan Gale runway comeback, but like last year’s opening it wasn’t without pursed lips.
Who could forget the blistering heat and birdpoo at the Queen Victoria Market runway, this time the VIP crowd, including former minister for fashion, sorry foreign minister, Julie Bishop and Adam Goodes were herded like cattle out of the store’s 4th level.
Stilettos stormed past a hapless security guard who just shrugged and looked on as the crowd strutted their own runway down the barricaded elevators.
All that was of course forgotten when the style set returned to the retail giant on Thursday for the prestigious National Designer Award. Won by Melbourne label Best Jumpers, an eleventh hour late finalist entry, the energy was fierce.
Deni Todorovic put meaning behind fashionably late when they arrived and high heeled over the catwalk just in time for Dylan Best to take home the prize. Fresh from a big stint in Sydney for World Pride, Deni told Page 13 they had warned Seafolly to expect a cavalcade of criticism after announcing the non-binary advocate as an ambassador to the Aussie swimwear brand.
“It’s not my first rodeo,” they said.
The criticism came all right, but Deni’s high-end designer armour is rock solid and says the exposure for the trans community was always worth it. Preach.
Over at the majestic Royal Exhibition Building for the premium runways all week and there was a Twitter of excitement at the public uniting of AFLs ultimate WAGs Bec Judd and Nadia Bartel.
The Henne designer was a no show and we hear stuck on the tarmac in Sydney, but no matter, it was the people watching in the forecourt each night which was the real dinner and a show.
One twin set lover was overheard tut-tutting at all the cutouts, midriff baring and G-strings peacocking for the flashing lights.
Thank goodness they were long gone on Wednesday when a flash mob of plus-sized ladsses stormed the Festival forecourt baring curves in all their glory and chanting lines like “we have hairy legs and get our period but still deserve to be on the runway.” Wowza.
Celebrating “20 years of drama” in the industry with his Pretty Tough Love collection, local red carpet hero Jason Grech stole the show bringing his signature sex, slits and vibrant colour palette in collaboration with friend and milliner Richard Nylon.
But the real stories were perhaps from our lesser known designers. Melbourne label Mastani by creative director Kudrat Makkar shared some background into her unique and exceptional designs made by women in India.
“I tell my daughter girls are going to run the world,” Makkar said. Here’s hoping.
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