L'Oreal Fashion Festival in Melbourne

THE eyes of the fashion world turn to Melbourne next month when Australia's best and brightest designers show their creations in a fashion extravaganza at various venues across the city.

Melbourne fashion festival escape 23

THE eyes of the fashion world turn to Melbourne next month when Australia's best and brightest designers show their creations in a fashion extravaganza at various venues across the city.

Fashionistas can explore the city with diverse venues for shows and L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival cultural program events ranging from Docklands hot spots to funky laneways.

But LMFF is not just about looking into the fashion future and next season's trends. Melbourne is also renowned for its spectacular shopping and LMFF celebrates this important sector of the fashion industry.

The week-long festival of fashion includes world-class runway shows, state-of-the-art production, beauty workshops, business seminars and live entertainment.

"The festival's international reputation has helped lure one of the most celebrated international designers (Mary Katrantzou) to show on our world-class runway to an enthusiastic audience of fashion-loving consumers," festival chief executive Graeme Lewsey says.

The LMFF is a Victorian major event, supported by the State Government of Victoria, and just one of many events that bring Melbourne to life across autumn.

LMFF leads the autumn calendar and is part of a Melbourne's renowned "festival season" which includes the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (March 27-April 21) and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (March 1-17).

Also on the major events calendar are the Formula One Grand Prix (March 14-17), Australian International Airshow at Avalon (March 1-3), Ironman Melbourne (March 24), Melbourne's Autumn Racing Carnival and the start of the AFL 2013 season (from March 22).

Sitting alongside the LMFF runway glitz and glamour, and running throughout March, is the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival cultural program.

This includes the Fashion Film Series featuring 15 innovative Australian fashion films, city retail windows transformed in to art-inspired installations in Windows by Design, an Offsite Runway Series of solo pop-up shows and a fashion illustration masterclass with Bil Donovan among a program of more than 90 cultural events.

LMFF also features a business program with eight renowned international speakers, seminars, marketing advice and fashion industry forums.

2013 LMFF highlights L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Opening Event Docklands will be transformed into a fashion precinct for this first and biggest runway show of the LMFF. International guest Mary Katrantzou will sit front row as David Jones ambassador Samantha Harris opens the show with international models Montana Cox and Jessica Gomes in her spectacular new collection, soon to sell exclusively at David Jones.

The latest collections from the David Jones family of local designers will also be on show during the two runway shows including Collette Dinnigan, Dion Lee, Ellery, Lisa Ho, Rachel Gilbert and others plus all the latest beauty looks showcased by L'Oreal Paris.

L'Oreal Paris Runway Series The popular L'Oreal Paris Runway Series will entertain fashion lovers every night of the festival, with Australian designers showing their latest collections and the latest beauty looks.

A new L'Oreal Paris Powder Room concept and on-site entertainment precincts will extend the runway experience.

Red Carpet Runway Bespoke gowns and formal attire will take centre stage at the opulent Red Carpet Runway.

This spectacular one-off show features creations from a hand-picked ensemble of prestigious Australian fashion houses including Akira Isogawa, Aurelio Costarella, Collette Dinnigan, Gwendolynne, Rachel Gilbert and Toni Maticevski.

"This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the finest couture pieces from Australia's leading designers on a world-class runway," Lewsey says.

"This is the first group couture show of this kind and is an exciting new market for the festival to reach."

For a full program of festival events visit lmff.com.au