30/08/2026
🥳 Am I the only one who thinks this is a huge WIN! for our region?!
I posted this last week but must do it again because this win is worth celebrating 🎉
Bendigo is part of this years the Australian Fashion Festival 👛💍🥻👗🧶
I'm proud to say that Bendigo has been selected to host the inaugural Bendigo Fashion Series, becoming the first regional destination featured as part of the newly expanded PayPal Australian Fashion Festival.
From 12 to 20 September 2026, Bendigo will host 31 events celebrating fashion, design, creativity, culture and heritage.
Importantly, many events are free or low-cost, ensuring they're accessible to our community while also encouraging visitors to travel to Bendigo, stay longer, support local accommodation providers, dine in our cafes and restaurants, shop locally and experience everything our region has to offer.
This exciting collaboration between the PayPal Australian Fashion Festival, Visit Victoria and the City of Greater Bendigo further strengthens our reputation as one of Australia's leading regional arts and cultural destinations.
Featured Festival Events
📖 Amy Lawrance: First Five Years Book Launch (19 September)
▪️Celebrate the evolution of Amy Lawrance's award-winning design practice.
👗 An Afternoon with Sonia Cappellazzo (20 September)
▪️ Designer conversation accompanied by a live couture presentation.
📸 Liz Sunshine Exhibition: How Fashion Makes Me Feel (12, 13 & 19 September)
▪️ A photographic exploration of our relationship with clothing.
🎤 Liz Sunshine Talk: How Fashion Makes Me Feel (12 September)
🧵 Bracelet Making Workshop (19 September)
🧵 Earring Making Workshop (19 September)
▪️ Hosted by Djaara artist and master weaver Cassie Leatham.
🖼️ Pageant Exhibition: A Retrospective (2010-2025) (12 September to 31 October)
🎙️ Pageant Talk: A Retrospective (13 September)
🎨 Fashion Illustration Workshop (13 September)
Hosted by Estelle Michaelides.
🚶 Bendigo Fashion Walking Tour (12 September)
▪️ Explore Bendigo's fashion history, including the origins of Myer.
📷 In Conversation with Liz Sunshine (12 September)
✂️ Pageant Workshop: Mixed Media Collage (13 September)
👥 FashLab Regional Meet Up (19 September)
▪️ Exploring "The Tyranny of Distance. True or False?"
🎥 Festival Runway Screening (12-20 September)
▪️ Highlights from Australia's leading runway shows displayed in Hargreaves Street Mall.
▫️◾️Community-Led Events ◾️▫️
🎓 Towards a Career in Fashion: Kip Preston Taylor (15 September)
🎼 Bourgeois Baroque: The Soundtrack of Style (20 September)
♻️ Plastics Reimagined: From Waste to Wearable (13 September)
📷 Allan Doney Photographic Exhibition - Bendigo Tailor & Photographer 1900-1987 (12-20 September)
🇮🇩 Discover Indonesia (12 September)
🧥 Helena Richards-Collins: Fashion and Art Exhibition (12-20 September)
✨ Adornment Workshop (15 September)
👶 Gallery Giggles: Fashion Fun! (17 & 18 September)
📝 After School Art: Paper Jewellery (17 September)
🌿 Bushfoods Dinner & In Conversation with Cassie Leatham (17 September)
🎨 Billabongs not Silos: Beyond Symbolism (12-20 September)
🍸 Cocktails & Couture (20 September)
🖼️ Malamiya Mang Then & Now Exhibition (17 September to 3 October)
This programme combines fashion, art, First Nations culture, photography, music, design, food, history and education, creating opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages to get involved.
I look forward to welcoming visitors from across Victoria and beyond to experience Bendigo's creativity, culture, food, wine, heritage and hospitality this September.
View the full program and book tickets:
https://paypal.australianfashionfestival.com.au/regionalprogramme
