By Cara Waters
Former lord mayor Sally Capp is taking on a new role – as a model at the Melbourne Fashion Festival.
Capp will model an outfit from local designer Mastani in the festival’s F*** the Invisible runway on Friday night, aimed at inspiring and empowering women in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.
Former lord mayor Sally Capp, wearing a design by Mastani, is preparing to walk the runway in the Melbourne Fashion Festival. Credit: Simon Schluter
“This is a great example of making sure that everyone feels that they can see themselves on the runway, that they can enjoy fashion,” Capp said.
“The big part of this particular runway is saying you’re not ignored, don’t feel that you’re invisible, that you actually can take centre place and feel very comfortable with that.”
Since relinquishing the job of lord mayor in June last year, Capp took time out before taking on roles as a vice-chancellor’s fellow at the University of Melbourne, chief executive of infrastructure consultancy Create Advisory and at not-for-profits including the Royal Women’s Hospital, Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Institute and the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Capp said her experiences after resigning as lord mayor had brought home the runway’s messaging about visibility and age.
“It’s interesting for me because I’ve gone from a highly visible public role back into the private sector,” she said.
“I’ve certainly noticed the difference in my day-to-day and what’s happening in my world because I’m not in the newspapers or on the TV or on the radio.”
Capp said women often felt less relevant and less seen as they got older.
“They’re not always the cohort that advertisers are appealing to,” she said. “They’re not necessarily the cohort that employers are seeking, they’re not necessarily the cohort that fashion labels are seeing as their primary market.
Capp in her office at town hall after announcing her resignation as lord mayor last year. Credit: Eddie Jim
“You can feel that that sense of sort of being moved down the priority list from other organisations and people around you.”
Capp will be joined on the runway by former Olympic swimmer Nicole Livingstone and television personality Nicky Buckley, modelling designs by fashion labels Alpha 60, Carl Kapp, Et Al, Gary Bigeni, Jason Grech, Kara Baker, Lisa Barron, Mastani and Nobody Denim.
“I’ve got to say I’m feeling a lot of trepidation about it because it’s completely outside my comfort zone,” Capp said. “But let’s face it, we still want to have fun. Older girls want to have fun, not just girls want to have fun.”
Festival director Caroline Ralphsmith said that when women reached 50, there was sometimes a feeling of no longer being seen as important by society.
“That sense of not really being seen and that sense of invisibility is undermining a whole group of our community, contributing and feeling great about themselves,” she said.
“Even the most visible of women sometimes have that sense of a lack of confidence, and I think being on the runway and showing that there is camaraderie there is really important.”
The F*** The Invisible Runway is on Friday night at 7pm. The Melbourne Fashion Festival runs this week until Saturday March 8.