Nothing new and something borrowed: Everything the FJ team wore to Melbourne Fashion Week

“As hard as it is to resist the urge to purchase something shiny and new for Fashion Week, I always find it most exciting to play around with my existing wardrobe.”

When you work in fashion, the temptation to purchase new additions to your wardrobe is ever-present. This is particularly the case when big events like fashion weeks roll around. The pressure to curate an outfit you’re happy to be photographed in can lead to some questionable impulse purchases, but at FJ we try to think long and hard before taking something from our virtual cart to our real-life wardrobe.

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We challenged ourselves for this year’s Melbourne Fashion Week to shop from our already full wardrobes, and if we craved newness we’d find it by pinching a piece from our housemates and friends or styling something in an unexpected way. Below, we each break down what we wore across the week.

Izzy, Fashion Journal’s Assistant Editor

The reality of being an editor during fashion week is a lot of running between the office and various events, and this day was no exception. To the Strateas Carlucci Runway, I wore a Uniqlo x JW Anderson tartan skirt I picked up from Goodbyes, a plain black long-sleeve, my trusty cowboy boots and a pleather jacket I got from a vintage store. Not pictured: my giant work bag (laptop and all), just out of frame.

For the Student Collections Runway, I based my look around this simple pleated midi I got from a thrift store. I love the juxtaposition of leather and mesh or lace, so I sandwiched my Tabi flats and a vintage leather jacket with an ultra-feminine floral top. I tied a ribbon around my Sage Avenue handbag, popped on some white socks and finished with a slick of ’90s-esque brown lipstick.

@izzy.wight

Ella, Fashion Journal’s Partnerships and Campaign Manager

As hard as it is to resist the urge to purchase something shiny and new for Fashion Week, I always find it most exciting to play around with my existing wardrobe, whether it be layering unexpected pieces, or leaning into the ‘thneed’ trend. For Day Four, I layered a black Deiji Studios cotton dress over some Friends with Frank tailored pants, with my housemate’s white breezy shirt underneath for some added warmth and dimension.

I scored these great pinstripe grey trousers from the Ganni outlet store in Copenhagen back in September and knew they’d be the perfect comfy companion for the Fashion X Theatre show. Running with a monochromatic look, I styled them with a vintage denim waistcoat from Goodbyes and my housemate’s long-sleeve mesh top that I’ve pinched more times than I’d care to admit. To add a little life back into the outfit, I opted for my fairy-floss pink Dylan Kain bag, accompanied by a DIY Sandy Liang-esque hair ribbon.

@ellataverner

Georgi, Fashion Journal’s Partnerships and Campaign Coordinator

For the Student Collections Runway, I decided to go quite simple. I paired my Scarlet and Sam scrunched shirt with a basic black mini skirt – I purchased the shirt through winter, so this is a combo I’ve been desperate to pull out of the wardrobe. My cowboy boots are thrifted and simply haven’t left my feet since I picked them up a couple of months ago, and my sunnies are kindly gifted from Szade.

@georgiwoolcock

Deana, Fashion Journal Contributor

I kept it quite simple for the Strateas Carlucci Runway last week. I wore these Marithe François Girbaud pants and an off-the-shoulder Comma long sleeve from the ’90s. I styled the look with a pair of thrifted mules and my vintage leather Oroton bag (she’s a favourite for events). I also wore earrings from Ebony Munro and Hannah Jewett, along with some other miscellaneous silver pieces to tie it all together!

@deanastepanian

Cait, Fashion Journal’s Editor

The temptation to buy something new for a fashion week is immense. In past years I’ve fallen victim to last-minute impulse purchases, so this year I made a deliberate decision only to wear items I already own. To get to the Underground Runway on time, I had to practically run there from a panel I was speaking on for Fashion Week so my look needed to be professional without compromising on comfort and style. With this in mind, I layered a lace skirt from locally-made Melbourne label Oats over secondhand pants from Goodbyes (I’ve always been fond of a skirt over pants moment).

On top, I’m wearing a thrifted singlet and sheer T-shirt and a blazer from the Uniqlo x Jil Sander collection, a go-to piece for industry events. The boots I’m wearing I’ve owned for over 10 years, something I’ve written about here. Talk about great cost per wear! The bag was gifted to me by Melbourne accessories label Sage Avenue and has been on high rotation lately.

The outfit I wore to the Fashion X Theatre runway makes a strong case for raiding your friends’ wardrobes; the patent coat and the Ganni loafers both belong to my housemates. Instead of buying something new next time you have an event, try swapping and sharing clothing. It can inject your outfits with that dose of newness you’re craving. The blue long sleeve is from Oats (can you tell I’m a big fan?) and the pants are secondhand Djerf Avenue I bought from a friend.

@caitemmaburke

For advice on creating a more ethical wardrobe, try this.