My Australian Fashion Week lunch break

Backstage at Toni Maticevski. Image via Coty

Australian Fashion Week and I did not get to see much of each other this year.

Having covered it for four years running, I gave it rest this time around as I’m now in a workplace that doesn’t require that of me.

Oh, but how I missed it! Yes, it’s but five days in the year but those days are equal parts stress and glamour. I stumbled upon the MBFWA crowd at an off-site show that happened to be near my workplace and was struck down with longing.

But all was not lost. On Australian Fashion Week’s final day, in the afternoon, I visited during my lunch hour. It was an illicit quickie; I couldn’t stay away.

I do think the new Carriageworks location lacks the glory of the waterfront views down at The Rocks. A friend explained the beauty of it was its more workman-like approach – there was, at last, a media room big enough for everyone instead of a skinny bit corralled off at the front.

The shiny bits were ever present – the miniature canapés, the bar with its free coffees (in limited edition cups printed with designer prints, but of course) and the women with magical pastel dream hair and the men in leather tank tops. As always, the best runway is the street outside Fashion Week – even this time right at the end there were enough sweaty volunteers, peacocking bloggers and bambi-limbed models in full make-up and bizarre hair to make for fine people watching.

Models pose at Talulah. Love a smiling model. Image via Coty

These backstage shots come courtesy of my friends at Coty. In my paltry hour at MBFWA, all I had time for was a couple of Instagram shots. Oh, Australian Fashion Week!