The best street style from Melbourne Fashion Week day three

photography by lekhena porter

words by lara daly

We’re ready to dress up again.

On Wednesday night, Melbourne’s fashion crowd descended on the State Library forecourt for the anticipated Cult Status runway. It was a night dedicated to the city’s ‘underground’ designers – the ones who’ve built devoted followings, like Liandra Gaykamangu, Holly Chandra-Curry of Perple and Kaylene Milner of Wah Wah Australia, alongside emerging labels including Club Venus, Toile Studios and Chris Ran Lin.

Held inside the Ian Potter Queen’s Hall, the show’s lead stylist Joseph Romano contrasted formal grandeur with the chronically online world of e-girls and club rats. “The imperfect is what we aim for,” he told us. “And a little bit of the rejection of AI, taking back what makes people people.”

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Between collections, local pop provocateur Robert Baxter stormed down the runway with their dancers, performing ‘BRB’ and ‘Naomi’ in a tiny Club Venus ensemble, poker-straight hair swishing to the music.

While nostalgic MySpace beauty tied the runway together (think teased hair, side parts and grunge fairy makeup), the collections from each of the 10 designers expressed their distinct language. From the colourful streetwear of R.Sport to Gotham‘s prairie-pirate looks, to the gritty, larger-than-life creations of Wilson Jedd Adams, it felt like a snapshot of Naarm’s multifaceted fashion scene.

As usual, the attending guests displayed just as much creativity in their own outfits. As a media partner of M/FW, we were joined by photographer Lekhena Porter, who captured some of the best and most memorable looks of the night on film.