Fashion Week, now known to us as Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF), can often be a whirlwind. Runway shows here, new looks there, Champagne and canapés everywhere. But this can often be limited to the inner parts of the city, in the form of booked-out shows. Northland Shopping Centre, in the city’s inner north decided it was high-time they brought the festival to their shoppers.

Inside the centre, for the week of the fashion festival (17-23 March), centre visitors can take part in the Northland Fashion Lounge where entertainment and activities take place in a styled and comfortable refuge from the hustle and bustle of the shopping centre itself.

Flowers, pink seating, and the latest trends are all part of the lounge while the big screen in the background plays the highlights from the runway shows. Pampering, runways, styling sessions, and make up demonstrations all take place in the lounge over the week.

Saturday March 22 saw Hairhouse Warehouse Gelish (the new Shellac on the market) manicures, followed by a runway show and styling talk with the lovely ladies from Bardot. Learning to pair styles and how to dress for your body shape all made the list of topics.

Sunday March 23 will see the Bardot girls back and Hairhouse Warehouse running hair styling tutorials.

In the down time between activities, guests can sip a San Pellegrino while flipping the pages of the latest fashion magazines. Beats getting a third coffee for the day while you wait for someone, right?

For those not taking part in the action, you can check out more at the newly launched True North fashion blog run by the centre. 

Northland Fashion Lounge
Monday 17 March – Sunday 23 March 2014
Northland Shopping Centre, Murray Road Preston

Top image photo credit: Lucas Dawson Photography