Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia has been the ultimate mark of the Australian fashion industry. It’s birthed and nurtured the likes of Zimmermann, Dion Lee and Ellery and continues to reign as Australia’s only international fashion event. This year we were blessed with Aje’s opening at the picturesque waterfront location at Campbell’s Store, and literal rain at cult athleisure brand, P.E. Nation. Now, there’s no doubt that 2020 will be another year of greatness for the Australian fashion industry, and IMG is planning to shake things up with a new event format!

This coming year will debut its first-ever integrated consumer offering as a part of the official schedule. For the first time ever, fashion-obsessed consumers will be able to buy tickets to the five headline shows, meaning that everyone can now experience their own Anna Wintour front-row moment!

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival returns to Brisbane in 2019 had a great effect.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane is Queensland’s premier annual fashion event, coinciding with the arrival of new-season Spring/Summer collections in stores. The Festival showcases the very best of local, national and emerging fashion designers and retailers before an audience of fashion lovers, media and industry insiders, with a program of runway shows and other exciting events. The key focus of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane is supporting the local fashion industry, by giving Queensland designers a platform on which to showcase their work and connecting them directly with consumers.

“The Resort  21 schedule will include special events to celebrate and commemorate the Australian fashion industry, and, at the same time, embrace a new format that reflects the cultural shifts impacting our global fashion industry today. Curated in collaboration with industry thought leaders, the new Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia will embrace the consumer and go beyond the runway to create immersive experiences rooted in the cultural conversation.”

The previous industry-only event will now bring industry experts and fashion’s most passionate consumers together in one cohesive celebration of Resort ’21. The new event structure is a development of  former public-facing extension, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weekend Edition. IMG have selected up to 25 per cent of seats at the five headlining evening events to allocate to the public, and are also giving access to seminars, special events and VIP packages : The Experience.

“In Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia will continue to promote Sydney as an internationally recognised destination for fashion and culture, while celebrating the talented individuals who have built an enduring and vibrant Australian fashion industry,” continued Xenita.

The dates are another change to this year’s schedule, beginning on the Monday rather than hosting the traditional Sunday opening show. Although at the time of publishing the official schedule hadn’t been released, we only have to look back at previous years to see the calibre of incredible designers and venues shows have been hosted at. Take designer Ten Pieces, who used the iconic Bondi Icebergs pool (empty, we should add) for their show this year.