Sydney Fashion Festival highlights

• Fashion
• News
• SS11
• SS12
• Sydney

Sydney Fashion Festival (the open to everyone extension of Australian Fashion Week) has a new name, a new agenda and a new schedule this year. Gone is the Martin Place tent and Rosemount naming partner. In its place, the festival has been rechristened Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney, and the primary runway venue is now Sydney Town Hall. This year, guests are going to be entering the venue via the dramatic Town Hall steps (which actual fashion people don't get to do very often, so there you go) so outfits to match come highly recommended. Plus, there'll be style hunters from Specsavers roaming around all week, scouting for the best dressed person of the day to award with $400 vouchers. 

Here are our picks of the runway and satellite events:

Mercedes-benz Presents S/S 2011/12 – A Review Of Australian Fashion Week – Nightly, 8:30pm.
On every evening during MBFFS, this catwalk showcase reads as a "best of" from Australian Fashion Week, featuring looks from Dion Lee, Josh Goot, Lover, Magdelena Velevska and several other stand out shows. Styled by catwalk veteran Kelvin Harries, the showcase is a chance to check out Australia's finest just as the clothes are dropping into stores. Plus, there's an after party post event every single evening.

Myer Big Is Beautiful – Tuesday 23 August - 12.30pm
One of the first shows of the week, the Myer Big Is Beautiful presentation is an homage to plus sized style (size 16-24). It's also the first time Leona Edmiston's Leona+ range will be shown on a runway.

GQ Australia presents: GQStyle’s S/S 2011 Season Highlights – Thursday 25 August – 12:30PM
GQ will be unveiling their latest cover at this showcase, as well as presenting the best of what's happening in local menswear design.
 
The Loft And Le Black Book Present High Tea With A Twist - Thursday 25 August - 1pm
Perhaps its because there's a focus on intricate craftmanship and strong presentation in both areas, but fashion and high tea have always gone well together. The fact that everything being served at this particular take on the afternoon ritual is a tea infused cocktail will, one imagines, make things go even better.

Myer Spring/Summer Fashion Launch - Thursday 25 August - 5:30pm
A redux of the Myer Spring/Summer show, this presentation will be a chance to watch Jen Hawkins and Kris Smith, Myer's ambassadors, take to the runway. It will also feature some of Myer's flagship labels like Sass and Bide and Ellery, and afterwards attendees can, if they wish, be whisked into store for a chance to shop directly off the catwalk, with Jen playing the part of gracious hostess (and potentially style advisor).

Labyrinth By Camilla - Friday 26 August – 5:00pm
Always the egalitarian, Camilla Franks is debuting her Labyrinth collection simultaneously to press and public. Expect a plethora of prints and so many bright, flashy colours you'll feel a little dizzy. Did I mention it'll be a ton of fun?

HP And Intel White Studio
Located in the Festival Hub on the lower level of Sydney Town Hall, the HP and Intel White Studio will be open all week, and it's a chance to interact with fashion in high tech new ways. Well worth checking out at some point during the festival, not least of all because HP has been earning itself a rep for working with fashion's best thanks to a collaboration with Dion Lee earlier this year.

To book tickets or find out about other MBFFS events, visit their website.