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Move over Chanel - we don't need the Grand Palais to showcase our wears, we have some pretty impressive balls as our backdrop. Presented by the iconic fashion magazine and in partnership with Rundle Mall and City of Adelaide, the three-day event will bless our streets with South Australia’s biggest shopping event; celebrating Australian fashion, lifestyle and beauty.
In its 'fourth' year (we don't need to take 2020 into account), the state's largest fashion event will include exclusive in-store offers and discounts, with fashion experiences, styling tips and more.
The Vogue Festival will take place from 8 - 10 October 2021.
More details to come.
And now what you're really here for... my unfiltered thoughts on VOGUE Fest...
Since the axing of the Adelaide Fashion Festival and COVID-19 affecting any chances of the South Australian Fashion Focus Weekend returning (okay... yes, AND a SAFFW BFF axing caused by an MLM join - if you know, you know), I for one am itching for fashion to once again take centre stage in the public eye. There's a vibrant community of designers to manufacturers, models to just genuine fashion lovers who have had nothing better to do than play dress up in their walk-in robes and lust over labels on Instagram.
The Vogue Festival coming back is sending a clear message - The City of Adelaide sees value in investing in local fashion and I'm ready to sip it up like a buttery methode tradtionelle sparkling. With the recent announcements of the Bloom Festival, one which looks to have been strategically created to continue our "Festival State" reputation outside of March Madness, it's smart to be investing in drawcard events like the VOGUE Festival which gives us something to give a shit about engage with during October.
Although I sense the festival will be heavily Rundle Mall and therefore fast-fashion and conglomerate-owned fashion brand focused (quite the turn from the angle of SLOW fashion the Adelaide Fashion Festival promoted just years ago), the inclusion of Rundle St East will hopefully bring a spotlight to South Australian-owned businesses like Acler, Born In August, Valente The Label and Harvey X Seeker. If only we could have pushed shoppers through the doors of Rundle St staple, Birdcage Boutique, before it went bust.
If collabing with the larger, more recognisable brands is what needs to happen to pay the bills to 1. allow us to actually have fashion events again, and 2. give the opportunity for the smaller designer and SA-owned/based businesses to take advantage of the buzz to hopefully flourish themselves - so be it.
From my investigation I'm guessing Adelaide's most prolific PR agency, Girl About Town, will be involved, having posted about the festival on their social media this week and having worked on the festival in past years. More info to come on what activations will be involved - here's hoping a new take on the Spendless Shoes Sneaker Lab returns in some capacity as its popularity saw hours-long lines in previous years. Personally, the East End VOGUE Festival Wrap Party still holds up as one of my favourite VOGUE Fest events of all time...
I recommend that every single one of you who has made it to the end of this loooong article, absolutely makes the most of the VOGUE Festival this time around. With COVID-19 and the sore state of fashion events, who knows if something like this will ever happen again. All the more reason to take part, purchase tickets, shop up a storm and show your support - so the people reading the post-festival reports can see how many people are rallying behind Adelaide being a mecca of fashion. Having been integrated into the Adelaide fashion community for years as a blogger and ran a plethora of fashion events myself, I have a lot of hope for the VOGUE fest and for the first time in a long time, I'm excited.
For the fashion-minded who's craving something between now and #VF21, Fashion Industries South Australia is hosting a creative networking night next Thursday, 12th of August.
Written with love,
Emma.