On January 30, the Royal Botanic Gardens will play host to one of the most innovative new events on the Melbourne fashion calendar. The Royal Botanic Runway is a compendium of fashion, flora, design, conservation and philanthropy. The runway will celebrate Australian fashion with collections presented by Aurelio Costarella, Collette Dinnigan, Martin Grant and Akira Isogawa; and proceeds from the event will go towards raising $3.5 million to drought-proof the Gardens, ensuring irrigation reserves are not subsidised with drinking water.
Guilfoyle’s Volcano will serve as the spiral runway as well as the centrepiece for the conservation-minded occasion. The 'volcano', which was resurrected in 2008 from the original 1876 plans, is a water-storing triumph of landscape architecture, not to mention a vantage point for one of the most stunning views of the city.
It’s enough to make Meryl Streep retract her cutting Devil Wears Prada remark, (“Florals for Spring… ground-breaking…”) don her sunglasses, take her front row seat and enjoy the show immensely. Beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes couldn't have a more appropriate setting.