OLIVIA SIVA
The 13th annual Brisbane Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival starts this Sunday with the newest styles from the hottest designers parading down the runways at local hotspot, Howard Smith Wharves.
The festival is Queensland’s premier annual fashion event, which celebrates upcoming fashions for the spring/summer season, showcasing the very best in local, national and emerging fashion designers and retailers across four shows.
Festival director Lindsay Bennett said the event grew each year and organisers are expecting this year’s festival to be the biggest and best festival yet.
“Each year, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival continues to grow both in terms of the number of designers taking part and the fashion-loving community all eager to attend,” Ms Bennett said.
“In 2019, we have recorded extremely strong ticket sales, with almost all shows quickly selling out,” she said.
“This once again reaffirms the community’s strong interest in our platform; driving fashion retail for Queensland, by showcasing Queensland’s best established and emerging designers and retailers.”
Ms Bennett said the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival was delighted to call Howard Smiths Wharves its festival home this year.
“This year, MBFF will be staged at Howard Smith Wharves – the new ‘it’ place in Brisbane – a newly revitalised, historic destination that will situate the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival runway in the midst of Brisbane’s most iconic sites, including the River, New Farm cliffs and the Story Bridge,” she said.
Ms Bennett said the 2019 festival schedule would parade cult favourite designers such as alice McCALL, Sass & Bide, Aje and Bulgari, but would also showcase the works of “next gen” designers including the work of students at TAFE Queensland and QUT Fashion, providing a state of the art platform and chance to showcase their work to a wider audience.
This is the third year that TAFE Queensland graduates have showcased their designers at the fashion festival.
Tafe Queensland fashion teacher Tricia Hart said the fashion festival provided a great opportunity for students at the institution.
Ms Hart said this year TAFE Queensland students Cassidy Hardingham of Cassidy the Label and Heshanie Tennekoon of Ileana the Label would be representing the institution.
She said the two students would also be launching their new clothing labels at this year’s festival.
“Two emerging designer daywear labels will be launched at the festival, with each label bringing a fresh perspective to the options available for Queensland women,” Ms Hart said.
“Each year the response from graduates increases as it provides an exciting opportunity for emerging labels to showcase their designs at such a prestigious event,” she said.
“The success of our graduates reflects the hard work and dedication they show throughout their studies and to their chosen careers.”
The 2019 Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival runs from Sunday August 25 to Thursday August 29.
TAFE Queensland student work will be featured in The Fantauzzo Next Gen Parade on Wednesday August 28 at 7pm.
For further information on the 2019 Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival, please visit mbff.com.au.