See Instagram queen Celeste Barber hit the runway at the VAMFF this March

VAMFF (Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival) has more than 70 events and goes from March 4 to 14. How to pick out the best? Here are some standouts.

National Graduate Showcase \ Sure, newcomers to the fashion festival want to see the big names on the runway. But, often, the show with the most frisson is the one that features graduate students from across Australia. These kids aren’t usually trying to make collections that can be worn straight off the runway; they want to get noticed. Sometimes the results are spectacular, sometimes puzzling, but the fun is not knowing what to expect.

 Friday, March 13, 6pm. Tickets from $39.

Virgin Australia Grand Showcase featuring MATICEVSKI \ Which fashion aficionado hasn’t swooned over the frothy concoctions that Toni Maticevski always delivers? This year’s Virgin Australia Grand Showcase features a solo show by the red carpet master, which will include his current designs as well as some of his archival pieces, that will explain to the novice why he has held such an exalted place in Australian fashion for the past two decades. Plus there’s a goodie bag, with $100 in Priceline gifts.

Thursday, March 12, 8.30pm. Tickets from $59.

Runway 3 Presented by Harper’s Bazaar \ Comedian Celeste Barber’s Instagram has been poking fun at magazine and model poses for ages (to the delight of the people she pokes fun at), but it was her bushfire relief fundraiser that really catapulted her to celebrity status. She’s already walked international runways – Tom Ford used her in 2019 for New York Fashion Week – but there are other reasons to attend. Featured designers are Aje, Ginger & Smart, Jason Grech, Manning Cartell, Viktoria + Woods, Rebecca Vallance, Rachel Gilbert, SIR and Matin. Front row tickets available.

Thursday, March 12, 7pm. Tickets from $59.

Australian Fashion Summit \ If you want to do more than simply see Barber on the runway – where she will no doubt have crowds in stitches – hear her insights during the conversation, “Who Really Has Influence Today?” Also in the line-up is Australian editor-in-chief Laura Brown of US InStyle magazine. Bonus: $50 from each ticket goes towards the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

Friday, March 13, from 9am-5.30pm, $499.

How Two Live \ You might have been following lookalike fashion sisters Jess and Stef Dadon on their Instagram page. But this pair is more about influencing; they’re also fashion entrepreneurs (with their own shoe label, Twoobs) and have a podcast for which they’ve interviewed Meg Ryan, Dita Von Teese and Erin Brockovich. At VAMFF, they will live-record their podcast with a free discussion at The Plaza with industry identities.

Wednesday, March 11; Thursday, March 12, 6pm.

Nocturnal x Fashion \ Night owl? Check. The festival’s after-dark party at the Melbourne Museum combines culture (Mojo Juju in a DJ set) and Chunky Move dance company wearing Romance Was Born threads, among other big names in the line-up: Banoffee, Rainbow Chan, Purple Sneakers and more. There are pop-up bars, fashion films and live music. The beats go on until 11pm.

Friday, March 6, 7pm. Tickets from $25, this is an over-18s event.

Hugs by Heide x Patricia Piccinini x Alpha60 \ Wanna eavesdrop on a conversation between renowned artist Patricia Piccinini (as part of a showcased exhibition) and the duo behind quirky label Alpha60, Georgie and Alex Cleary? Even better, it’sat Heide Museum of Modern Art at twilight, as part of VAMFF’s independent program. Expect the talk to centre on the two themes of nurture and nature that are embedded in Piccinini’s artworks: conversation, wine and museum admission included.

Sunday, March 8, 5.30-7.30pm, tickets from $30.

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