Participation Guide

PARTICI PATIO N GUIDE PARTICIPATE IN THE VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL

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INTRO DUC TIO N The Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival is an annual celebration of fashion, arts and ideas for everyone to enjoy. It is Australia’s largest fashion event and has built a reputation for delivering a highly credentialed program of events and activities through best-practice curation and production.

The Festival’s program encompasses activities produced by the Festival (MFF Ltd), as well as independently produced activities staged by Victorian fashion industry participants.

Fashion designers, brands, creative and arts practitioners interested in showcasing at the Festival are invited to consider the participation options outlined in this Participation Guide. Information on each program area is provided alongside links to application forms.

The Festival program is presented to a highly engaged consumer audience, local and international media as well as industry groups. Festival events and activities are promoted to audiences with broad-reaching targeted campaigns, PR and digital activities and significant outcomes are achieved for participants.

The creative direction of the program is a curated process at the full discretion of the Festival’s Executive team which creates the annual official program to deliver on consumer expectation and engagement strategies, stakeholder requirements, and the strategic direction of the MFF Board of Directors.

All activities promoted through the Festival program must engage and be available to the public to attend, whether free or ticketed.

T: +61 3 9654 5599 E: programming@mff.com.au vamff.com.au · #VAMFF · @vamff

© Melbourne Fashion Festival Ltd 2019 The information contained in this Participation Guide has been prepared solely to assist you in evaluating the suitability and benefits of applying to participate in the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival official program in 2019.

Melbourne Fashion Festival Ltd. reserves the right to alter any of the information without further notice to any reader and/ or applicant.

The Melbourne Fashion Festival Ltd 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.

The Festival reserves the right to reject applications, including (but not limited to) where: —— There is a conflict of interest with the Festival’s values, objectives, or partners; —— There is inadequate evidence to show that the applicant will be able to deliver the outcomes to the expected standards; and —— The application does not comply with the conditions set out in this Participation Guide.

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CO NTENTS FA S H I O N Australian Ready-to-Wear Designers: The Festival’s Signature Runways

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Independent Designers: Offsite Runways

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Award for Emerging Fashion Designers

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Partner with the Festival to produce your bespoke solo runway

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ARTS Independent Organisers: Arts Program

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Fashion Film Award

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Fashion Writing Opportunities

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IDEAS Independent Organisers: Ideas Program

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E AT. D R I N K . FA S H I O N Restaurants and bars: Register your venue

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SHOP Independent Retailers: Register your activity

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VEN U E S Independent Venues: Register your venue

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Please note Information and Participation Application Forms to participate in the Festival’s runways at the Malvern Town Hall as part of the Fashion Weekend presented by City of Stonnington will be provided from 1 September 2018.

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FASH IO N SIG NATU RE RU NWAYS VAMFF’s signature runways at the Royal Exhibition Building ABO U T The Festival presents ready-towear collections from Australia’s leading emerging and established designer fashion labels in a series of runways, curated and produced by the Festival’s team of top tier professionals. Collections showcased on the runway are also promoted to consumers on the Festival’s digital platform, ‘Shop The Runway’.

Designers showcase A/W collection capsules in group shows that are coprogrammed with the editorial teams from each presenting magazine partner. Magazine partners for these runways traditionally include leading titles such as Harper’s BAZAAR, ELLE Australia, Vogue Australia, GQ, InStyle, and more.

Staged at the historic Royal Exhibition Building on Australia’s largest runway in front of an audience of 1500, each runway is produced to the highest production standards including top tier model talent, styling and creative show direction by Australia’s leading stylists, premium audio visual and lighting management, ticketing and seating management, VIP attendance, media management.

Designers showcased in these runways are provided with a full suite of programming, marketing and production services by the Festival’s team including appointed agencies. The Festival works with each designer to co-leverage and promote their involvement in the program, connecting with audiences and promoting sales at retail.

S ELEC TI O N Australian ready-to-wear designers participate in the Festival signature runways by invitation and co-curation with each aligned magazine title.

Designers must have a full suite sample collection available for presentation in the runway, that is available for purchase at retail at the same time as the runway event.

Participation is subject to the creative direction of each runway, and to Festival approval.

There is a Participation Fee to showcase in the Festival’s signature runways at the Royal Exhibition Building.

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By November 16 2018

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FASH IO N O FFSITE RU NWAYS The Festival invites independent designers and organisers to apply to present an Offsite Runway event on the official schedule at VAMFF 2019.

ABO U T Events in this program category are produced by independent organisers and selected to be listed and promoted in the Festival’s official program.

The Offsite Runway program offers a valuable platform for independent and emerging designers to showcase their work in innovative presentation formats, as part of the official VAMFF program, promoting your independent creative vision while reaching new audiences.

Please note the Festival is not funded to financially support independently produced activities; events in this category are applying to be listed and promoted in the official program.

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S ELEC TI O N The Festival will accept proposals which: —— Showcase independent Australian designer fashion (Victorian based designers and brands will receive priority); —— Demonstrate that the fashion content of the runway demonstrates excellence in fashion design through innovation, quality and production standards; —— Facilitate engagement of the public; —— Address the practicalities of showing as part of the Offsite Runway including a proposed venue, dates, permits and production plans, and; —— Demonstrate ability to appropriately market the activity, including providing promotional content to the Festival by set deadlines.

There are no restrictions to the format that an Offsite Runway event can take. Applications outlining innovative collection presentation formats are particularly encouraged.

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By November 16 2018

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In addition to runway presentations, Offsite Runway formats may include: —— Performances —— Interactive displays —— Installations —— Progressive runways —— Interdisciplinary presentations —— Solo or group shows

FEE S Participation is subject to a nominal Listing Fee.

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FASH IO N NATIO NAL DESIG N ER AWARD ABO U T The Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival is proud to provide an esteemed annual platform to showcase and celebrate Australia’s most talented emerging fashion designers.

The Festival’s National Designer Award presented by David Jones encourages excellence within the Australian fashion industry, acknowledging designers in their first five years of business who excel in creative design, fashion innovation, high quality manufacturing standards, unique style and the potential to contribute to the future growth of Australian fashion.

Designers apply through a folio submission process and the Award is judged by a panel of industry experts in two rounds; the first via folio review to form a shortlist of Finalists, and the second-round judging involves collection showcase and interview processes with each of the shortlisted Finalist designers.

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL

Past winners include: —— 2018 – P.E. Nation —— 2017 – KACEY/DEVLIN —— 2016 - macgraw —— 2015 - PAGEANT —— 2014 - Strateas.Carlucci —— 2013 - From Britten —— 2012 - Christopher Esber —— 2011 - Song For The Mute —— 2010 - Dion Lee —— 2009 - Romance Was Born —— 2008 - Friedrich Gray —— 2007 - Yeojin Bae —— 2006 - TV —— 2005 - Josh Goot —— 2004 - Mad Cortes —— 2003 - Claude Maus —— 2002 - Toni Maticevski —— 2001 - Sample (Vanessa Coyle & Natalie Wood) —— 2000 - (I) peck your pun —— 1999 - Glen Rollason —— 1998 - Ugur lle Alijan

TH E PR IZE The Award winner will receive a high value business development prize pack designed to acknowledge the designer(s) significant contribution to the Australian fashion industry, reward them for their creativity and excellence in design, and importantly provide resources to assist the label’s development into the future.

Applicants will be judged on the extent to which they meet the following criteria: —— The label demonstrates excellence in design and fashion innovation; —— The label demonstrates a unique design vision; —— The collections are produced with a high-quality level of manufacture and attention to detail;

The total prize is worth in excess of AUD $100,000*

—— The label has been established for less than five years;

*Full prize list will be available at time of Finalist announcement.

—— The label has been available at retail for at least 12 months;

S ELEC TI O N The National Designer Award presented by David Jones is open to fashion designers and fashion design partnerships where the main place of business is based in Australia. The applying business should be under 5 years of establishment, having launched its first part or full range collection after 1 January 2014.

—— The collections are available for commercial sale in Australia; —— The business is financially sustainable; —— The label demonstrates the potential to make a positive contribution to the future growth of the Australian fashion industry; and —— The application complies with the Application Process below.

—— 1997 - S!X

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FASH IO N NATIO NAL DESIG N ER AWARD Any application or acceptance to be a part of the Festival’s National Designer Award is at the sole responsibility of the applicant and the Melbourne Fashion Festival Ltd. will be indemnified of any risk or claims.

The judging panel’s selection decisions are confidential and final and no correspondence will be entered into. The Festival will not provide critical analysis or feedback.

APPLI C ATI O N Applicants are required to submit a folio of work to be reviewed by the judging panel. The folio must be submitted in hard copy and in soft copy via upload in the Application Form, and include the following elements: —— Photographic imagery of the collection available at retail by March 2019 (minimum six looks).

Sketches or other supporting creative materials may also be provided;

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL

—— Photographic imagery of previous collection/s (minimum one previous collection). Sketches or other supporting creative materials may also be provided; —— A business plan outlining business goals, objectives and plans to attain these, along with background on the business; —— A 200-400 word design statement detailing the creative rationale of the current collection; —— Current profile, biography and head shot of designer/s (for potential publicity use) —— Designers will receive further acknowledgment for demonstrating a commitment to sustainability through their product and general business practice, to be celebrated with a Sustainability Commendation that will be confirmed at the Award Announcement event, and; —— Application form.

The hard copy folio, application form and supporting documentation should be forwarded to:

Level 2, Mitchell House, 358 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 All entrants will receive an email acknowledgement of receipt of application.

N OTI FI C ATI O N & FU RTH ER R EQ U I R EM ENTS —— All applicants will be notified by email of the outcome of their application.

—— Successful Finalists will be provided with information to prepare for Final Round judging.

—— Once notified, all successful Finalists will be required to work with the Festival and their appointed production and PR agencies to prepare: —— Media and PR opportunity fulfilment; —— Winner Announcement event staged 1 March 2019.

—— All Finalists will be required to present in person to the judging

panel at Final Round judging.

Finalists located outside of the judging location will be furnished with economy interstate return flights to attend the judging.

—— The winner announcement will take place on 1 March, 2019 as the first official event of the Festival. This will include a live runway presentation of Finalists’ collections. All Finalists must be in attendance. Finalists located outside of the event location will be furnished with economy interstate return flights to attend the event.

The freight, insurance and customs charges related to presenting the Finalists’ collections at judging and event activities is at the Designers’ cost and liability. The Festival and its appointed production agency takes all care but no responsibility for damage or loss incurred through participation in these activities.

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By November 16 2018

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FASH IO N B ESPOKE RU NWAY PRODUC TION Ask us how we can bring your fashion event to life…

The Festival brings together a collective of the best fashion, creative and technical production teams in Australia. As such we are equipped to produce spectacular events and runway shows on behalf of brands and designers, with the added benefit of access to the Festival’s various hub venues and amortised resources.

Bespoke runways are a unique way for fashion brands to activate as an official partner of the Festival. Engage the Festival to produce and promote your collection showcase, secure one of a limited number of solo runway time slots and take advantage of the Festival’s ‘turn key’ event and runway production services that will ensure the presentation of your collection is a seamless process.

The opportunity suits brands wanting to drive consumer engagement through the excitement of a runway at Australia’s largest fashion event, as part of an integrated campaign that can be co-leveraged across Festival channels.

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Runway timeslots will be available throughout the day and into the evening, both onsite at the Festival’s Hub at the Melbourne Museum Precinct (Mon 4-Sat 9 March 2019) and offsite throughout Melbourne (Fri 1-Sun 10 March 2019).

Runways on the Festival’s official program must be ticketed for the public to attend (free or paid), which can be facilitated by the Festival in complement to VIP and media guest seating.

The Festival’s marketing campaign will focus on consumer attendance.

To schedule a conversation with the Festival’s management team to discuss this partnership opportunity:

CO NTAC T U S

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ARTS PROG R AM The Festival invites creative practitioners and organisers to apply to present an Arts program event on the official schedule at VAMFF 2019.

ABO U T The Festival’s Arts program highlights cross-disciplinary, contemporary creative practices that have fashion at their core, and provides a platform for creative practitioners and arts organisations to showcase their work as part of the Festival.

The Arts program welcomes proposals from organisers of independentlyproduced exhibitions and events, spanning art, design, performance, film and writing practice.

Proposals for self-produced arts and cultural activities are welcomed from: —— Creative practitioners including artists, curators, photographers, designers, writers, dancers, performers and musicians; —— Arts and cultural organisations including community groups, education institutions, museums, galleries, alternative art spaces, independent organisers and libraries.

Please note the Festival is not funded to financially support independently produced activities; events in this category are applying to be listed and promoted in the official program.

S ELEC TI O N The Festival Programming team will select proposals which: —— Showcase contemporary creative practice with a clearly articulated connection to fashion; —— Present a cross-disciplinary approach to fashion and the broader creative industries (eg. spanning across art, design, performance, film and/or writing practice); —— Facilitate engagement of the public with fashion in all forms; and —— Contribute a unique and intelligible point of view on fashion’s presence in contemporary culture.

FEE S Participation is subject to a nominal Listing Fee.

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By November 16 2018

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ARTS VAM FF 201 9 FASH ION FILM AWARD ABO U T The Festival’s Fashion Film Award is the longest-running and leading platform in Australia for the exposure and recognition of local and international creative talent working in the fashion film medium.

The Fashion Film Award places a deserving spotlight on fashion films as a key communication platform for both fashion designers and filmmakers, and for their ability to enable audiences to experience fashion in innovative and creative ways.

In 2018, the Australian and International finalists’ short films were screened to over 220,000 physical and virtual audiences. Watch compilation of the 2018 Fashion Film Series Finalist Films here.

The Festival invites Australian and International emerging and established filmmakers to submit short fashion films to be judged by a panel of industry professionals.

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S ELEC TI O N Applicants will be judged on the extent to which they meet the following judging criteria: —— The film celebrates and showcases Australian and/or international fashion – either multi brand or a single designer; —— The film demonstrates a unique point of view; —— The film is innovative; —— The film has a strong directorial style; —— The film is produced with a high quality of production; —— The applicant(s) demonstrates the potential to contribute to the future growth of the Australian / international fashion film industry; and —— The film complies with the Conditions of Entry.

The judging panel’s selection decisions are confidential and final and no correspondence will be entered into. The Festival will not provide critical analysis or feedback.

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ARTS VAM FF 201 9 FASH ION FILM AWARD CO N D ITI O N S O F ENTRY To be eligible for consideration, all films must meet the following requirements: —— The film must be 9 minutes or less (including credits); —— The film must have been completed after 1 July 2017; —— The film must not profile in any significant way any competing partner/s of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival;

FEE S

The Festival encourages filmmakers to submit films that are as close to finished as possible. Works-inprogress and rough cuts will only be accepted on these conditions:

There is no fee to participate in this program.

—— The only stages to be completed are colour grade, final sound mix or credits (film must be at picture look stage);

By November 16 2018

—— You understand that the film will only be accepted for submission once. The Festival will not accept a film previously submitted, even with significant changes.

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—— The film must be consistent with the Festival’s values. It must not present the use of drugs including alcohol, narcotics and tobacco; clothing which contains animal fur, under-aged people in a sexualised manner; —— As the selected films will be displayed in public spaces, a “G” rating classification (or equivalent) is required for all content. “G” classified media is for general viewing. The film must not incite, encourage or present violence, intolerance or brutality in any form; depict nudity, explicit sexual activity or crude or indecent language.

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ARTS FASH IO N WRITIN G O PPO RTU N ITIES ABO U T The Festival offers support to amplify creative talent within writing, journalism and blogging communities.

Embracing a range of fashion writing styles, the Festival offers opportunities for emerging writers to cover Festival events, providing content and pieces of writing to be published in Festival media. Through these opportunities writers will be provided with a platform for, and exposure of, their work.

The Festival invites aspiring Australian fashion writers to submit short writing samples to be judged by the Programming team. From these submissions, a selection of writers will be designated to write pieces at nominated runway, arts, and ideas activities.

S ELEC TI O N Applications will be assessed on the quality and extent to which they meet the following selection criteria:

—— The applicant demonstrates the potential to contribute to the future growth of fashion writing in Australia; and —— The writing samples presented are solely those of the applicant.

To apply, applicants must be Australian citizens.

The Programming team’s selection decisions are confidential and final and no correspondence will be entered into. The Festival will not provide critical analysis or feedback.

FEE S There is no fee to participate in this program.

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By November 16 2018

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—— The applicant demonstrates a unique point of view and comprehensive understanding of the fashion industry; —— The applicant has a strong and distinctive writing style;

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IDE AS PROG R AM The Festival invites independent designers and organisers to apply to present an Ideas program event on the official schedule at VAMFF 2019.

ABO U T The Festival’s Ideas program is a platform providing thought leadership and business-based discussion that enhances the capabilities and capacity of the Australian Fashion Industry. It has an emphasis on innovation and inspiration with a practical and instructive approach to conducting business in the global creative community.

The Festival welcomes proposals from organisers of independently-produced activities to be included in the official VAMFF 2019 Ideas program.

The Festival’s marketing campaign is proven to reach audiences in the public and professional spheres, with activities listed in the official program benefitting from the credentials and exposure of the Festival through its broad-reaching promotional platforms.

Please note the Festival is not funded to financially support independently produced activities; events in this category are applying to be listed and promoted in the official program.

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S ELEC TI O N The Festival Programming team will select proposals which: —— Provide discourse and learnings around contemporary practice in the fashion and design industries; —— Facilitate engagement of the public as well as within industry; and —— Contribute a unique and intelligible point of view on creative or commercial themes affecting fashion today and into the future.

FEE S Participation is subject to a nominal Listing Fee.

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By November 16 2018

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REG ISTER E AT. DRIN K . FASH IO N .

Be a part of a specially curated program aligning Festival events with Melbourne’s top bars and restaurants, to help our event go-ers create the perfect fashion night out in the City of Melbourne.

The Festival is working with the City of Melbourne to create an exciting program to activate the city’s best bars and restaurants, aligned with the Festival’s 2019 events schedule.

The EAT.DRINK.FASHION program will offer a complete ‘night-out’ experience, marrying fashion with food and great Festival vibes.

Bars and restaurants are invited to be part of this program, creating an exclusive fashion-inspired offering available from 1-10 March 2019 that will be promoted by the Festival.

Ideas could range from a special menu, dish and/or drinks, promotions or discounts, and experiences.

All activities on the EAT.DRINK.FASHION program are self-produced by their organisers; the Festival encourages organisers to promote their activities, and the Festival will in-turn promote these venues and offerings.

FEE S There is no fee to participate in this program.

R EG IS TER H ER E

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REG ISTER VEN U E Register your venue with the Festival team, who will promote you to our many independent organisers looking for a home for their activities.

The Festival offers an exciting platform for independent fashion creators to stage self-produced events that are promoted through the highly-credentialed VAMFF Program annually each March.

The Festival team are often asked for venue recommendations by these organisers and we love being able to connect them with venue operators who are keen to fill their spaces with fashion and creative activity.

The Festival is therefore calling for owners and managers of event, performance and gallery spaces in Melbourne and regional Victoria to register their interest in providing their space for Festival activity which will take place 1 - 10 March 2019.

Venues that have expressed an interest in hosting Festival events, run by our independent organisers, are encouraged to offer a “Festival venue discount” to promote to organisers during the programming period.

We will contact you by email if a potentially suitable activity is identified, and connect you directly with the organiser if it’s of interest to you.

The Festival is also calling for cinemas in Melbourne, regional Victoria and interstate who may be interested in hosting a screening of the Festival’s Fashion Film Award 2019.

FEE S There is no fee to participate in this program.

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SH O P PROG R AM ABO U T When the Festival was established in 1996, Victoria’s political and fashion industry leaders had a vision of creating a public festival that would ‘get the tills ringing’ across the State.

A festival that celebrated the best fashion on offer, profiling designers and driving customers in store. 21 years on and that same vision drives the dynamic programming of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival.

And so, the Festival is proud to present a program of retail experiences to delight shopaholics and fashion enthusiasts alike – the Festival’s Shop Program.

Victorian fashion retailers are invited to submit concepts for live activities held in-store, that connect existing and new customers with their unique offering and inspire them to shop shop shop.

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL

And if you are a retailer located in the City of Stonnington, your events will be scheduled on the final weekend of the Festival (9-10 March 2019) in a separately promoted schedule, Fashion Weekend In Stonnington, part of the Festival’s Shop Program.

Shop Program activities may take the form of: —— Collection presentations —— Window installations —— Meet & greet with designers —— Film screenings —— Styling workshops —— Parties —— Forum discussions

Limited discounts and incentives are recommended in conjunction with the live activities to encourage attendance and engagement through this Program. All activities on the Shop Program are self-produced by their organisers; the Festival encourages organisers to promote their activities utilising the digital asset pack provided by the Festival.

FEE S There is no fee to participate in this program.

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By January 18 2019

—— Pop-up shops —— Other innovative styles of events welcomed

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PARTICI PATIO N GUIDE PARTICIPATE IN THE VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL

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