Melbourne Museum partners with First Nations creatives

Melbourne Museum has partnered with Mob in Fashion and PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival to elevate First Nations designers in the fashion industry.

From Friday, March 3 to Saturday, March 11, Mob in Fashion’s Future/History exclusive exhibition will be held at the Carlton-based Museum, with collections created by First Nations artists Lillardia Briggs-Houston, Delvene Cockatoo-Collins and Cassie Leatham. 

Mob in Fashion exists for the purpose of promoting First Nations voices and representation “behind the scenes” in the fashion industry, while providing meaningful and culturally grounded learning experiences for First Nations creatives.

As a First Nations-led program, Mob in Fashion also strives to “remind everyone that First Nations people are not just the subjects of stories, but [they] are the original storytellers. And [they] belong in every part of the fashion system.”

This partnership is a part of the MFF’s Fashion Culture Program, and the Melbourne Museum is looking ahead to the festival with a number of events in the works.

“We’re looking forward to hosting bespoke programs at Melbourne Museum in collaboration with Paypal Melbourne Fashion Festival, including Nocturnal, Mob in Fashion’s gorgeous display, Future/History, and the MV Fashion Collection Backstage Pass, which has been so popular we’ve had to put extra tours on,” Director Exhibitions and Audience Experiences, Linda Sproule said.

Nocturnal x The Fashion Edition will be an event extravaganza with fashion, performance, live music, museum tours, curator talks and crafty classes on Friday, March 10.

MV Fashion Collection Backstage Pass will be a celebration of International Women’s Day with a behind-the-scenes collection tour celebrating female fashion trailblazers, on March 8.

As Melbourne Museum hosts a number of exciting events, the Royal Exhibition Building will once again be the central hub of the festival, with some highly anticipated designers being showcased in its Premium Runway Series.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with the Fashion Festival once again, and to continue our five-year relationship,” Ms Sproule said

“It is always wonderful to experience the flurry of stylish activity the festival brings to the beautiful surrounds of the Royal Exhibition Building.”

For more information about Mob in Fashion, and access to MFF’s program, visit: melbournefashionfestival.com.au/2023-event/futurehistory •