Behind the Runway: A Week Inside Melbourne Fashion Festival by Lily Walker
Backstage at a fashion show has long held a certain mythology. The chaos, the creativity, the quick changes and the moments before a look steps onto the runway. It’s a world most people only imagine from the outside.
For The Fashion Institute student Lily, volunteering at Melbourne Fashion Festival offered a rare glimpse inside that world. From dressing models and last-minute couture fixes to witnessing the energy behind major runway shows like Beyond Blak and Glam Up, she experienced firsthand the fast-paced reality of fashion behind the scenes.
In this piece, Lily shares what it’s really like backstage during one of Australia’s biggest fashion events and why the magic of fashion week doesn’t just happen on the runway.
The phenomena of backstage, parties, the allure of being close to someone famous. I’m a sucker for it. But not in the way you would think. Of course I'd never pass up the chance, but this week I saw for myself the real electricity of behind the scenes in the fashion world.
Working as a volunteer for Melbourne Fashion Festival, I got to see the inner workings of the elusive backstage of a fashion show. No it wasn’t straight out the 90’s with cigarette smoke, but there is a special vibe, and it’s not my first time either, mind you (not to brag), but the first time I felt a part of something - truly. If I had to describe it, I’d say it felt like everything was alive.
I was lucky enough to volunteer for two shows, Beyond Blak, which featured Indigenous designers including Delevene Cockatoo-Collins, Ebony Noire, Flash 1A, KingKing Creative, Lazy Girl Lingerie, Lychee Alkira, Take Pride Movement, Tarsha Davis and Yapa Mali. A marvellous celebration of Indigenous cultures with prints that popped, lots of sandals, and a current of electricity running through every look.
The second show was the Glam Up Runways, this was the most chaotic, but also the most extravagant. The designers for this were Alin Le’Kal, Antoinette Fusillo, Gwendolynne, Krzysztof, Lillian Khallouf, Romance Was Born, Vanessa Moe and Vivienna Lorikeet. Think big ball gowns, jewels, couture.
Working as a dresser, I was fully in on the madness. In my younger days I did dance competitions where quick changes were the norm. But let me tell you, you haven’t seen a quick change until your model has 4 looks in one show, all different and she is look 15 AND 30.
Although stressful, it is also the most magical place. I could’ve slept there and gone at it again by 8am. The highlight moment was definitely when little old me was asked to sew a beautiful couture dress, well, alter rather. Sewing with frantic yet measured anxiety I took that needle and thread like a sword and shield and went into battle. The fabric? Heavy. The stress? Innumerable. The reward? Felt like a million bucks. A look I actually worked on myself with my own hands went on the runway. I’d like to thank my mother and grandmother for insisting I learn how to do a basic stitch.
Another magical moment was when I was attending to my model in the lineup, and another model asked me to please fix her veil as it was slipping. She called me an angel! Good little feed to the ego for myself there.
A recurring thought that kept coming to me throughout the day was a quote from the icon herself Alex Consani “Closed mouths don’t get fed”, AKA, if you want it, you have to ask for it. This, of course, applies to most industries, but especially fashion, and even more backstage in the middle of a fashion show. Everyone is BUSY! You have to know exactly who to ask, how to ask, and have perfect timing.
The stars aligned for me when I said I could sew, and I was rewarded. The lesson? Open that mouth and ask. Me being me, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut- and collected Instagrams like infinity rings. I do believe there is a special friendship, forged in the trials of backstage that cannot be broken. So much so, that I believe I may have met some life long friends. We all love fashion, and are all similarly traumatised in the most splendid way. Some call it a trauma bond, I call it fashion-fiend finds friends.
In a way less demanding role, was working in front-of-house. Although I love chatting to people, scanning their tickets and directing them to their seats, it is slightly less action packed. I didn’t feel as central to the action, and as a slight adrenaline junkie myself, I am now addicted to backstage. The pros of working in front-of-house? You get to watch the show, although the volunteers were steered upstairs to watch the shows from between the bannister rails of the balcony. It was honestly a better view than the front row.
To capture the entirety of the runway in one shot - lets just say my Instagram was FED. During the day however, I worked in the Fashion Forecourt. This was excellent for people watching, having been backstage the entirety of the previous day I didn’t have the chance to spy on guests and more importantly, their outfits.
Like a little wallflower I stood there scanning tickets for some private events and spied my little heart out. The street style ranged from Kookai top and jeans, to a man dressed as an actual Bishop, Zuchetto and all! Plenty of eye candy as well - my dear partner in crime for the day, Georgia and I, had some favourites and many, many, MANY influencers. I felt like it was an influencer zoo.
Did I talk to anyone? No. Oh well, I’m more interested in talking to the real fashion people anyway.
So anyway, what I'm really trying to say is backstage is the best!
Love, Lily X
