Turning up at a party wearing the same as someone else is never good - unless the outfit looks better on you.
Melbourne Fashion Festival has been re-named the Australian Fashion Festival, its organisers announced on Thursday.
There's nothing like a glow-up, but it means the nation's two biggest fashion events now have almost exactly the same title, with Australian Fashion Week already held in Sydney.
The Sydney event in May is primarily industry and trade focused, while the Melbourne festival, usually held in February, is more about retail and consumers.
Of course, that still leaves Melbourne Fashion Week which is in October... in Melbourne.
It was already a confusing scenario, and the fashionistas who love to attend these runway shows could be forgiven for feeling like they've spun around too many times in their platform heels.
Alongside the announcement on Thursday, there was a statement of intent from Australian Fashion Festival chair Launa Inman.
"As Australia’s national fashion organisation dedicated to connecting Australian fashion with consumer markets, we are evolving beyond an annual event and extending the festival’s value into a year-round fashion platform," she said.
It's not as if Melbourne and Sydney weren't already peering at each other through their designer shades, trying to work out which city is more fashionable (okay, Sydney was looking at the harbour).
Industry peak body the Australian Fashion Council took over running Fashion Week as a not-for-profit in 2024. That's the one in Sydney.
The council says it's pleased by the rebranding, which was discussed with the festival team in Melbourne.
"I suggested there was an opportunity to think more broadly about how we position fashion nationally, and suggested this name... I was both surprised and glad they have rebranded,” council chair Marianne Perkovic said in a statement.
The chief executive of the event formerly known as the Melbourne Fashion Festival, Caroline Ralphsmith, announced her resignation in April.
In 2025, the event reportedly suffered a drop in revenue and finished in the red, while financial results for 2026 have yet to be released.
