Melbourne Fashion Festival Is Back, Delivering Us A Style Spectacle
FRONT ROW FEVER
By Cali Westmoreland | 19th February 2026For Australian fashion devotees, few dates loom larger on the calendar than Melbourne Fashion Festival. It is the kind of event that prompts group chats to light up and wardrobes to be reconsidered. That’s right, fashion lovers, rejoice, MFF has returned, and this year, it arrives with the confidence of a seasoned icon and the energy of a debutante.
Entering into its coveted 30th year, the festival has adopted the electrifying theme of Fashion as a Spectator Sport – and if there were ever a city primed for a sartorial spectacle, it is Melbourne. As we know, the city is fast closing in on pole position as Australia’s premier fashion event host.
Long regarded as Sydney’s cooler, more conceptual sister, Melbourne is hot on the heels of claiming the fashion capital crown outright with festivals like this. Expect drama. Expect theatre. Expect statements made not quietly, but with conviction. Boundaries will be pushed, creative genius placed firmly on display, and the atmosphere charged with that rare, joyous connection that only fashion can deliver.
An ode to style lovers countrywide, MFF 2026 kicked off on February 14 (because what could be more romantic than a love letter to fashion itself?). Over two dynamic weeks, the programme will unfold across the Royal Exhibition Building and surrounding venues, transforming the city into a living, breathing runway. The milestone anniversary ushers in a fresh wave of new-generation talent, avant-garde design, and immersive cultural activations, a reminder that Australian fashion is not merely evolving, but accelerating.
Refreshingly inclusive, the programme remains open to the public, a rare gift in an industry often guarded by velvet ropes. But be warned: tickets are selling out faster than ever, so consider this your sign to get in quick.
Here is just a snapshot of what’s in store at Melbourne Fashion Festival 2026: an anniversary, a spectacle, a statement of intent. Not merely a contender, but perhaps the moment Melbourne cements its place as Australia’s fashion capital.
Geelong Fashion Fortnight
PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival will mark its 30th anniversary with a major first, expanding into regional Victoria to launch Geelong Fashion Fortnight. Unveiled on the Geelong Waterfront, the event will celebrate the city’s UNESCO City of Design status and spotlight its thriving fashion and textile community.
Running alongside the Fashion Festival from 14-28 February, the fortnight will deliver runways, exhibitions, workshops and installations across Geelong.
When: 14-28 February Where: Multiple locations Tickets: Buy here
Fashion Film Awards
The Fashion Film Awards is a global celebration of fashion on film, where storytelling, style and cinema collide in their most artful form. Open to filmmakers of all levels, selected works are screened at an exclusive, industry-filled awards night. Categories include Best Fashion Film, Best Australian Fashion Film and Best Student Fashion Film.
Film and fashion? Sign us up.
When: Friday, 20 February, 7 PM Where: The Capitol, 113 Swanston St, Melbourne Tickets: Buy here
Joywear Runway
To celebrate 30 years of the Festival, the Joywear Runway arrives – a riot of colour, maximalism, and unapologetic self-expression.
National Designer Award X David Jones
The National Designer Award x David Jones show will recognise Australia’s top-notch fashion brands and honour the creativity and excellence they’ve produced in their first 8 years of business. Past award winners have included Alèmais, Christopher Esber, Dion Lee, and many more of the brands we all know and love.
The show includes Alvia Chung of Speed, Erik Yvon, Gabriella Pereira of Beare Park, and many more local designers who are at the forefront of design innovation. The showcase will also welcome our homegrown hero Grace Kelly of Joaen, in all her tailored-to-perfection glory.
When: Tuesday, 24 February, 7 PM Where: Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton Tickets: Buy here
A coveted mainstay on the Festival calendar, the National Graduate Showcase is where the next generation of Australian fashion makes its mark.
Featuring Ana Kim, Bailey Quan, Bryanah D’Costa, Caroline Caroline, Connor Brown, and many more fabulous designers, this whimsical, playful runway reveals the top 12 graduate designers, each hand-picked for their vision and daring designs.
If you’re after something fresh, boundary-pushing, and utterly unmissable, this is the one. It’s a celebration of creativity, innovation, and the exceptional talent defining the future of fashion.
When: Tuesday, 24 February, 8.30 PM Where: Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton Tickets: Buy here
Beyond Blak Runway
A bold, dynamic celebration of fashion as culture and storytelling, this runway unveils full collections and standout works from a visionary cohort of First Nations designers and artisans. Curated by Mob in Fashion, it is a powerful expression of creative leadership, where contemporary design meets the depth and resonance of First Nations heritage
Expect names such as Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, Ebony Noire, Flash1A, KingKing Creative, Lazy Girl Lingerie, Lychee Alkira, Take Pride Movement, Tarsha Davis and Yapa Mali to make their mark with unmistakable intent.
When: Wednesday, 25 February, 7 PM Where: Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton Tickets: Buy here
Metamorphosis Runway X Savers
Amy Cottrell, Cakey Sportsman, Candice, Corcorancorin, Nofunović, Pocket Money, Posture Studio and Shiyo step forward with a new fashion manifesto.
In a series of never-before-seen collaborations, these experimental voices reimagine preloved pieces sourced from Savers, transforming secondhand into sharp, directional statements. The result is sustainability with edge: upcycled, undone, entirely redefined.
This runway challenges the notion of newness, proving that innovation lies not in excess, but in perspective.
Resort Glam Runway
A vibrant dedication to the art of luxury escapism in fashion, the Resort Glam Runway will embody the kind of coastal cool energy that we Queenslanders are no strangers to. Expect bold patterns, flowing silhouettes, and understated elegance with welcome warm-weather collections from Oroton, Aje, Amy Lawrance, Camilla, Husk, Maara Collective, Mastani, Ngali, and Viceta Wang, along with plenty of outfit inspo for your next coastal getaway.
When: Thursday, 26 February, 7 PM Where: Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton Tickets: Buy here
Topshop at Myer Runway
Topshop takes the runway with effortless cool, a celebration of its bold London spirit, now arriving at Myer.
Expect elevated silhouettes with a laidback energy, pieces that radiate confidence and city-edge attitude. This late-night showcase marks Topshop’s return to Australia, inviting a union of London verve and Australian style, a collection to wear unapologetically, loud and proud.
When: Thursday, 26 February, 10 PM Where: Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton Tickets: Buy here
Autumn Luxe Runway
It’s time for our Autumn/Winter retreat. As the leaves start to turn and the pull towards slower, more intentional dressing sets in, we find ourselves craving pieces that feel both grounding and elevated.
We predict a polished edit of muted jewel tones from Bianca Spender, impeccable tailoring from Perri Cutten, and slinky silhouettes from Silk Laundry that hero taste, functionality, and craftsmanship. Think refined layering, fluid suiting, and tactile knits that move seamlessly from weekday to weekend, an exercise in restraint where every piece earns its place, and elegance is expressed in the details.
Grand Showcase: Cappellazzo
Each year, Melbourne Fashion Festival unveils its Grand Showcase, a singular moment in the Premium Runway Series dedicated to one extraordinary Australian house. In 2026, the spotlight has turned to Cappellazzo.
As the brand marks 30 years, Founder and Creative Director Sonia Cappellazzo’s couture legacy takes centre stage, a masterclass in bridal, ready-to-wear and red-carpet opulence shaped by Italian heritage and meticulous craftsmanship. From Cannes to the Brownlow, her gowns have long defined the art of arrival. Expect a showcase steeped in elegance, where tradition meets modernity and every silhouette radiates confidence, precision and undeniable glamour.
When: Friday, 27 February, 8.30 PM Where: Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton Tickets: Buy here
To no ones suprise, Melbourne Fashion Festival is putting on another dazzling celebration, from runways showcasing the nation’s top designers to exclusive screenings by our most coveted filmmakers. It’s an unmissable spectacle. See the full programme here.
Imagery: @melbfashionfestival
