The L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF) has released its packed program schedule for the 2012 instalment and confirmed a league of industry heavyweights set to attend.
The 2012 LMFF program, which includes a raft of fresh initiatives for the festival, was announced yesterday following an autumn/winter runway show on Flinders St Station steps.
The festival, which runs from March 8 to March 15, will see the return of the L'Oreal Paris Runway shows – including a solo show by couture king Alex Perry – along with a Red Carpet Runway appearance by iconic designer Toni Maticevski, and the National Graduate Showcase presented by Sportsgirl.
The coveted LMFF National Designer Award, supported by The Weekend Australian this year, will also again offer aspiring designers a chance to access a prize pool totalling $80,000. Emerging and established designers will be further supported through an Independent Runway show, which will showcase collections from brands such as Francis Leon, Ksubi and Song for the Mute.
In a move to beef up its Business Events series this year, LMFF has also secured raft of local and international industry leaders, researchers and innovators to address key issues facing the fashion industry.
The series, themed 'Power to the People', will comprise several separate events, including an LMFF Business Seminar, a Marketing Breakfast, and Fashion Industry Forums.
LMFF CEO Graeme Lewsey confirmed the Business Seminar will include presentations from a “handpicked line up of global thought leaders and innovators”, including Aurora Fashions CEO Mike Shearwood, Editd co-founders Geoff Watts and Julia Fowler, Leo Burnett Group head of retail strategy Alan Treadgold, and Timothy J Coghlan of The Maosuit & Savills Property Services in China.
The Fashion Industry Forums, designed to bring the industry together over hot topics, will consist of three discussions:
'What’s the Industry Verdict', based on fashion industry changes making it increasingly difficult to predict traditional buying cycles and how to leverage international and domestic markets.
'The New Consumer', where special guests such as Adam Ferrier of Naked Communications, WGSN's Lorna Hall, and Howard Parry-Husband of Pollinate & Soup will provide valuable insights into the new consumers and how they shop, engage with brands and consume media.
The third forum, Fashion Financing, will be presented by Andreas Klinger from Look.com, local designer Kirrily Johnston, and PPB Advisory partner Daniel Bryant.
The LMFF Cultural Program, featuring free exhibitions such as 'Windows by Design' by the City of Melbourne and Grace Kelly: Style Icon, will fill out the 2012 LMFF program, along with 77 other events designed to inspire and attract consumers to the festival.
LMFF 2012 will kick off on day one via an opening event presented by David Jones. The launch will welcome over 3,000 guests and industry representatives and is set to feature an open air block party as well as two runway shows featuring various Australian designers.