Melbourne Fashion Week returns next month for its 30th year

What to expect from the 2024 Melbourne Fashion Week program.

Start planning your outfits, girlies – Melbourne Fashion Week (M/FW) is back for seven stacked days from October 21 to 27. Now in its 30th year, the week will see runways showcasing veteran designers and emerging talent, along with industry talks, exhibits and events highlighting the city’s thriving fashion community. 

This year’s theme, You’re Invited, celebrates the individuality and diverse community that makes the Naarm fashion scene unique. Melbourne-born musician G Flip will bring their energy to the week-long festivities as the 2024 Melbourne Fashion Week ambassador.

• Melbourne Fashion Week’s 2024 program runs from October 21 to 27
• This year will mark 30 years of Melbourne Fashion Week showcasing Melbourne’s thriving fashion community
• Tickets are on sale from Tuesday 17 September 

“In addition to attending a few runways, I am stoked to be playing at this year’s closing runway to help celebrate 30 years of Melbourne Fashion Week,” G-Flip said at this morning’s announcement.

This year’s featured designers include Karlaidlaw, Club Venus, Par Moi, House of Darwin, Posture Studio, Alpha60, Injury and many more. As an official media partner again for 2024 (it’s practically a long-term relationship now), we’re particularly excited for the week to unfold.

The runways

Seven premium runways will return to some iconic locations across the city – from the Queen Victoria Market and Little Bourke Street to The Lume, Melbourne Town Hall and Melbourne Museum, plus three pop-up runways throughout the week.  

Setting the vibe on Monday night is the ganbu marra runway, featuring designers that embody the rich heritage and creativity of First Nations fashion. Following a showcase of works from Amber Days, Baluchay, Clair Helen, Gammin Threads, Ihraa Swim, Lore and more, guests are invited to view two exhibitions Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion created by the Bendigo Art Gallery and First People’s in the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre.

The Student Collections Runway and Awards on Tuesday is another major highlight on our Melbourne Fashion Week calendar. Attendees can expect a bold showcase of student designers from Box Hill Institute, Holmesglen Institute, LCI Melbourne, RMIT School of Fashion and Textiles and Whitehouse Institute of Design Australia, set against a backdrop of projections at The Lume Melbourne. 

On Wednesday, we’ll be heading down to Queen Victoria Market to check out some of our favourite names in slow fashion at the Electric Runway presented by Volvo, including Par Moi, Third Form and Wa-Ring. Volvo’s vision is all about being at the cutting edge of design, so that’s what you can expect from the upcoming showcase.

Jumping to another iconic location, our eyes will be on the Little Bourke Street Runway presented by Emporium Melbourne on Thursday night. Free and open to the public (and coinciding with Emporium’s 10th birthday celebrations), this runway celebrates the artistry of classic tailoring, with Zadig & Voltaire, Aje, Jac and Jack, Oroton, Sandro and more providing capsule wardrobe inspiration. If you see something you really love, there will be special offers across Emporium Melbourne afterwards to shop the runway.

On the tail end of the week, Friday night’s Underground Runway presented by Collarts will be a celebration of subcultures. Featuring a non-stop procession of labels we adore here at FJ (think Karlaidlaw, Posture Studios, Injury and House of Darwin), the event will channel the innovative, rebellious energy that defines Melbourne’s underground scene.

Off the runways

With over 30 independent events across seven days, there’s plenty to look forward to beyond the runways. There will be five Fashion Capsule exhibits showcasing the creative works of more than 70 local designers, weavers, artisans, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands artists, stylists and more. 

This year, a new-look Conversations program presented by LCI Melbourne will take place in the beautiful surroundings of GPT Queen & Collins. Aligned with LCI Melbourne’s personalised approach to shaping the future of creative professionals, you’ll hear from a panel of industry experts, followed by deep-dive discussions on inclusivity in the industry and the business of fashion.

Free events

From Wednesday to Saturday, Spring Place will play host to a new ‘RE:Fashion’ hub, supported by Collarts. The hub will offer talks, workshops and a public pre-loved clothing swap and market. You can join the important conversations around sustainability, body positivity and social enterprise, and even learn how to repair pre-loved garments at the workshop – a nod to Collarts’ hands-on, industry based learning. 

Some other must-sees on our list include a a ‘dopamine dressers’-themed Melbourne event and a talk on how neurodivergent creatives are shaping fashion’s future.

We can’t wait to celebrate the latest and greatest from Melbourne’s fashion community. Get familiar with the program, mark your calendars and secure your spots. pre-sale tickets are on sale today, with general on sale from Tuesday 17 September. 

To view Melbourne Fashion Week’s full program, head here.