What The Street Style at This Year's Melbourne Fashion Festival says about the Current State of Fashion

Shaveen, @velvetchai & Gulshen, @gulshenbenberu

Lena, @sunkissedsundays

Melanie, @thetiafox

Robert, @robertbonomy & Vivienne, @vivienne9000

The Resurgence of Fashion In Melbourne

This month, I attended two of the major runways at this year's Melbourne Fashion Festival, eager to document some of Melbourne's best fashion (you can also check out my street style from last year's festival here).

Runway 2, presented by Vogue Australia, was set at the stunning National Gallery of Victoria, and proved to be the perfect location. Guests were treated to a bold line up of premium Australian designers – from the tailored suiting of Camilla & Marc to the modern romanticism of Ellery and the incredibly intricate masterpieces of Paolo Sebastian.

The varied array of fashion on the runway was echoed by its guests, from masculine silhouettes to romantic puff sleeves. But at the heart of it all, it was clear that almost every outfit had something in common.

A New Era of Street Style

After a year in lockdown spent in trackpants and blouses – for those all important work Zoom calls – the return of Melbourne Fashion Festival also meant a return of fashion to this beautiful city. However, it looked a little different to that of last year's festival.

Relaxed and oversized outerwear, flat shoes, small to medium sized bags, and undone, natural hair. There was a new casual feel to this year's street style that hasn't been prominent at fashion weeks in years prior. And how could we expect anything else? With the past year geared to the simpler things in life, where less is more and comfort is king, this is the new way of fashion.

Oversized Outerware

Is there anything more practical than an oversized coat throughout Melbourne's blistering cold winter? Oversized suit co-ords, statement ankle-length trenches and wool wrap coats will become the new norm. We're set to be seeing a lot more masculine inspired silhouettes – that I-just-raided-my-boyfriend's-wardrobe look. It's practicality meets fashion.

Small-Medium Bags

Gone are the days where a clutch is the bag of choice for formal settings. Nowadays, we are much more casual and practical – wanting a bag that can fit all of our essentials and more. We are also much more sustainably minded; investing in fewer accessories that can be paired back with almost your entire wardrobe – think vintage and designer bags. These pieces can often come with a higher price tag, and so we require versatility from them – able to be styled from day to night – meaning the beloved clutch is becoming less and less prominent in the fashion scene.

Natural Hair

With our wardrobe taking a more casual, practical approach, it's no wonder that so too is our hair. After a year of little to no straightening or curling our hair, we have rediscovered what it is to have healthy hair. This combined with the time saved from keeping it natural has led a lot of us to opt for a less is more approach.

E, x

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Photography by: Me

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