Richlister Melbourne family making fashion and finance waves, won’t let us forget about Ukraine war

She feels undressed if not dripping in diamonds but Melbourne richlister, glamour puss grandma Kathy Garnaut — who has just made her modelling debut at Australian Fashion Week — has a heart of gold.

Melbourne richlister Kathy Garnaut feels naked.

The glamour puss has just stepped off the catwalk following her modelling debut at Australian Fashion Week. Not too shabby for a 61-year-old grandmother.

Her stylist-to-the-stars son Elliot Garnaut is still wiping away tears after turning into a blubbering mess on the FROW while watching his stylish mother glide down the Mastani runway wearing a flowing black sheer diamante cape and dress from the Melbourne label’s ethereal and romantic Resort ’25 collection.

Her other son Patrick, or Patch, Kathy says is more like husband Chris and into the “finance and serious” stuff.

Kathy Garnaut walks the runway during Australian Fashion Week. Picture: Getty

Models backstage at fashion week, presented by Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks. Picture: Getty

Also sitting on the front row, the two sons could be seen giggling as a proud Chris filmed his wife “from his boomer phone flip case.”

Wearing a classic wide pinstripe navy suit, her husband certainly fits the part of chief executive to Garnaut private wealth, one of Australia’s most boutique and trusted financial firms.

Also founder of Fawkner Property, the owner of shopping centres, Garnaut keeps rushing off to take business calls, carrying a leather briefcase with an “I stand for Ukraine” sticker emblazoned across it.

“That’s his passion, he is obsessed,” Kathy Garnaut exclaims. This time it is she who is proud, telling Page 13 how he led the call for corporate Australia to raise more than $2m to combat media fatigue in the Ukraine war.

He felt compelled to take action upon seeing gruesome images and news of children caught up in the conflict.

But we are here for Kathy’s show and she still feels naked and “just not herself” without her diamond jewellery, or what she describes as her “security blanket.”

Garnaut is 61. Picture: Getty

But jokes she’s not yet mature. Picture: Getty

We wait to start our interview so she can reapply her various rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

Carat upon carat, rock after rock. We wait for some time.

There is something about this big bustling richlister Melbourne family that is incredibly appealing.

Good friends and socialites Billy Mitchell and Michael Porter, smiling wide following their wedding of the century at Lake Como, have just swung by for a cheeky champagne to celebrate Kathy’s runway.

With her sparkling rocks now weighing her down, Kathy has the fresh glow from walking the catwalk, just another sign that 60 really has become the new 40.

Supermodel Elle Macpherson recently returned to the runway in Melbourne at 60. Schaparelli’s creative director Daniel Roseberry has just photographed his mother and muse wearing his creations. Have mums become the latest fashion force?

Thankfully, age diversity on the runway has moved from tokenism to designers like clever and savvy Mastani founder Kudrat Makkar seeing there is real and present money to be made by appealing to a different age bracket.

Just don’t call it mature.

“It’s my new career path. Milan Fashion Week next,” Garnaut laughs. “No it was fun, I really enjoyed it.

“All respect to Kudrat, she is such a beautiful soul and it comes out in all her designs, it was just a pleasure to wear it.

Designer Kudrat Makkar with models backstage. Picture: Getty

“But I love the diversity on the runway now, it’s lovely to see the young, middle, and I wouldn’t say mature…”.

“Mum you are 61, you are mature,” Elliot chimes in.

“No I’m not,” she retorts in a way only a mother can.

“Anyway that’s just a number. I don’t like saying I’m old because I don’t feel it.

“And we have the money, we have the disposable income to spend that the kids haven’t.”

“61 is the new 41.”

Well one thing is certain, there is something about granny Garnaut that’s never going to get old.