The Melbourne Fashion Festival is being renamed to the Australian Fashion Festival, as the Victorian-born event takes a more national approach.
According to organisers, this new brand strategy does reflect a broader national agenda, but noted the event will still remain anchored in Melbourne.
This comes 30 years after the Festival was initially launched, run as a consumer-focused operation. The new platform is said to help connect Australian designers, retail platforms, creative talent, partners, industry and consumer audiences.
As part of the new chapter, former REA Group and Victorian Racing Club senior leader Prue Mahar has been named as executive director of the AFF, working alongside the recently appointed creative director Damien Woolnough-Reid – the former fashion editor of The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.
Meanwhile, Jana Pokorny – former fashion director of Marie Claire – has been named as head of fashion programming at the AFF.
Australian Fashion Festival chair, Launa Inman, said there has never been a more important time to support and grow Australian fashion.
“As Australia’s national fashion organisation dedicated to connecting Australian fashion with consumer markets, we are evolving beyond an annual event and extending the Festival’s value into a year-round fashion platform,” Inman said.
“This will support greater collaboration with designers, retailers, creative talent and consumers, fostering connection, education, advice, engagement and community.
“We want to inspire more Australians, and fashion audiences around the world, to discover, engage with and purchase Australian-designed fashion. This is where the true commercial growth potential lies.”
The Festival has founding and “unwavering” support from the Victorian Government, alongside Visit Victoria, PayPal as naming rights partner, and sponsors and supporters across Australia.
State Minister for Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said Victoria's reputation as a leading arts and cultural destination is on full display with events such as the Australian Fashion Festival.
“As we welcome visitors to Melbourne for this celebrated event, benefits for the state will reach well beyond the runway,” Dimopoulos said.
Victoria’s Minister for Creative Industries Vicki Ward added that the Australian Fashion Festival highlights the strength of Victoria's creative industries.
According to organisers, the Australian Fashion Festival team is focused on evolving the festival programming into a year round platform that builds community, supports industry engagement and works with key stakeholders nationally to ensure Australian fashion receives the recognition and support it deserves locally and globally.
“At Australian Fashion Festival, proudly based in Melbourne, we will continue to work alongside Australia’s talented designers and the broader fashion industry to champion this talent on both the national and global stage,” Inman said.
“By creating meaningful, sustainable connections between designers, retailers and consumers, we can help ensure Australian fashion continues to grow, thrive and earn the recognition it deserves.”
In recent years, the now former Melbourne Fashion Festival has run its runway event around February and March. The more trade-focused Australian Fashion Week, based in Sydney, tends to run in May.