Get excited. 

VAMFF is back and GRAZIA is closing the party with a blockbuster show not to be missed. Australia’s biggest Fashion Festival is coming. Today, the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival, or VAMFF as its affectionately known, has launched next year’s program and it’s set to be stellar.

Taking place on March 4 – 14 2020, the Festival will present Fashion’s Wonderland, a celebration of the joys and fun associated with all that is VAMFF. To kick off the festivities, a visually striking launch campaign has been revealed which breaks down the stereotypes of fashion norms and encourages self-expression and uniqueness.

Starring Indigenous beauty, Charlee Fraser, the campaign champions diversity and inclusivity in fashion around various vistas in Melbourne, capturing the fun essence of the Festival with quirky styling, smiles and a sampling of the city’s most talented creatives.

With over 150 events in the Fashion, Arts and Ideas program, the 24th year of the Festival is set to be one of the biggest – and the most joyful to date. It will feature a standout program of premium designer runways, talent award programs, tours, dining and retail experiences, workshops, spectacular interactive entertainment, plus the first International Women’s Day Long Weekend and the return of the inspiring Australian Fashion Summit.

When we have a retrospect on 2019, we’ve already seen an array of extravagant events and experiences celebrating the incredible art of fashion. From Vogue Australia’s fabulous Runway 1 to the Gala Runway presented by David Jones, there have been countless incredible collections presented by Australia's homegrown talent, think: Scanlan Theodore, Dion Lee and KitX.

With the annual theme revealed to be Power To The Dreamers, the festival has cast a spotlight on the importance of creativity and encouraging passion, imagination and confidence while simultaneously celebrating the connection between the Australian landscape and clothing. The theme, which was was inspired by an investigation into our changing climate, explores how the environment we exist in affects our clothing and what we choose to wear. This powerful message has been mirrored through the mode of dress assumed by festival attendees, who have shown up in a wide variety of bold and bright ensembles paired with statement clutches and sky-high stilettos. 

With summer coming to a close and autumn fast approaching, VAMFF street style saw many attendees debut outfits that were appropriate for the warmer weather while simultaneously recognising the change in season by way of autumnal hues. As guests opted for minimal layers of clothing, accessories were stacked upon each other instead. A plethora of glowing gold buttons, eye-catching earrings and statement sunglasses were on show, proving it really is all in the details. For more, scroll on to see the best style showcased on the streets of the festival, below.

In 2020,The Festival exists to profile and amplify Australian and International creative talent, both locally and globally, by embracing fashion in all its forms to inspire consumers, support retailers and maximise benefits to our stakeholders.

Of the 2020 program, Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO, Graeme Lewsey, said the campaign theme will be present throughout each element of the Festival. “In March 2020, Australia’s largest fashion event will be celebrating the industry that we love whilst delivering sheer joy and experiences that are a direct consequence of designing a festival for everyone to enjoy. It will be much more than a week of fashion in Melbourne. Guests at this Festival will experience “fashiontainment”, a sense of occasion, community spirit and wonderous human connections ignited by creativity.”

For the third year, GRAZIA, along with its super stylish brother ICON, is the presenting partner for the closing show, plus host of the official afterparty (can you tell we like to party?). Runway 7 will feature a host of Australia’s finest and most interesting talent, including C/Meo Collective, Double Rainbouu and Nagnata. Additionally, guests will be able to attend the Festival’s closing party, presented by GRAZIA and ICON at Bond Melbourne, with free entry from 9.30pm with a Runway 7 ticket or wristband.