Virgin AustraliaMelbourne Fashion Festival is owned by the Melbourne Fashion Festival, a not-for-profit organisation that started in 1996 that supports and connects the Australian fashion industry, showcasing and amplifying the profile of Australian designers locally and globally, whilst inspiring consumers and retailers who drive the life and growth of the Australian fashion industry. Virgin Australia is its Principal Partner and has naming rights currently. It was previously known as the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. The Festival's voluntary Board of Directors includes some well known names from the Australian fashion industry including its Chairman David Briskin, Deputy ChairmanSue lloyd-Williams, former Target and Billabong boss Launa Inman, renowned Australian fashion journalists Janice Breen-Burns and Kellie Hush and several others. Graeme Lewsey has been the organisation's Chief Executive Officer since 2011 and has helped achieve significant growth for the Festival and acclaimed move to its home at the Royal Melbourne Exhibition Buildings and positioning of the Festival as now being Australia's largest fashion event. The Festival has taken a stand on showcasing diversity on its runways, enforcing no fur on its runways and helping democratise traditional fashion events, by appealing to the general public. Its consumer-friendly operational model is very different from fashion weeks seen around the world. Its a 'see now buy now' model in terms of what is found on the Festival runways is uniquely accessible. Mostly the designer clothing is all available in store or online. More than just fashion the event, the Festival has developed into a consumer-focused festival that provides fashion runway shows, business-related seminars and workshops, entertainment, music performance, and activates various precincts across Melbourne that can be accessed by the general public. It is part of the Victorian Major Events calendar of events and is helping to drive tourism to Melbourne often known as Australia's fashion capital. Over 15% of its public ticketing comes from outside of Victoria, the State of Australia where Melbourne is the Capital. It is described as celebration of fashion, beauty, business and creative endeavour for everyone to enjoy, the Festival is generally held in mid-to-late March in Melbourne each year over the course of several days. In 2020, the festival had to be shut early due to rising concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
