Melbourne Fashion Festival’s 2021 dates and program highlights have been revealed and I’m already counting down the days

Put this one in your diary.

Melbourne Fashion Festival (MFF) has revealed today the dates and program highlights for its much anticipated 2021 festival. Running from March 11 to 20, the 10-day festival will be underpinned by a commitment to diversity, inclusion, sustainability and accountability.

• Melbourne Fashion Festival runs from March 11 to 20
• 2021 marks the festival’s 25th year
• The festival’s aim is to generate economic and cultural growth for Victoria, while showcasing the best our local fashion industry has to offer

The program will be packed with not-to-be-missed events across multiple locations, both digital and IRL, and there will also be an immersive shopping takeover of Melbourne.

2021 will mark the festival’s 25th year, which will make it the longest-running consumer fashion event in Australia. MFF’S Acting CEO, Yolanda Finch, believes that the festival’s aim to generate economic and cultural growth for Victoria has never been more relevant, after a year that has seen the local fashion and events industry decimated by COVID-19.

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“The challenges of 2020 have provoked innovation across fashion, retail and creative sectors. The local recovery pathway is led by diverse points of view that show us a reimagined world in which to conduct business and create new ways to connect with one another. It’s also being led by the customer that now shops more mindfully, buys locally, connects globally, and seeks experiences spanning both real and virtual realms,” she says.

The key program announcements include a three-day Australian Fashion Summit from March 17 to 19, which will involve learning and networking events around Melbourne, Shop The Runway shopping itineraries which allow consumers to immerse themselves in the entertainment and experiences Melbourne has to offer, the Fashion Film Award screenings, and the return of some of MFF’s most famous runways, including the much-loved Gala Runway presented by David Jones.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, MFF is inviting the Australian creative community to participate in the creation of its 2021 campaign. The campaign will celebrate Australia’s makers and creators and invites participants to express their view on fashion in a single image that will be shared in a virtual exhibition on the MFF website. It will put them in the running for their artwork to become part of the festival’s official marketing campaign, and give them the chance of winning one of two cash prizes.

Applications are also open if you want to participate in the Fashion, Arts and Ideas programs, including the National Graduate Showcase, the Fashion Film Awards and our very own Fashion Writing Program. Applications close on December 11 2020. The MFF program in its entirety – both free and ticketed events – will launch to the public on January 19 2021.

To view the program in full, head here.