Over 200 fashion fans dressed to impress for the first Revival Runway collaboration with Melbourne arts organisation Queer Connect, the Queer By Design runway show on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at Abbotsford Convent.
Queer Connect founder Nathan Van with fashion designer Paul Malcolm. Image: James Taylor
Founder of Revival Runway Sofie Carfi with guests. Image: James Taylor
The colourful extravaganza featured a brilliant lineup of Queer designers, models, and makeup artists alongside a stunning fashion installation by the reigning drag queen Isis Avis Loren, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Australia season three.
The two signature runway shows were enhanced by exciting performances by musical miracle Amber Scates. The pink punk princess wowed the crowd with her burlesque-inspired pop performances, which included her own version of Vogue mentioning all the designers from Queer By Design!
Winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Australia season three Isis Avis Loren in front of her installation. Image: Charlotte Coombs
Pink punk pop princess Amber Scates performing at the Queer By Design runway show. Image: Naina
Revival Runway is a non-profit volunteer organisation that produces fashion-related content and events for independent Australian fashion brands and designers. Everyone at Runway Revival gives their time, experience and energy free of charge to create professional opportunities for brands and emerging fashion industry talent. Revival Runway offers industry internships to fashion students and independent creatives giving them real life experience to add to their resumes.
Melbourne fashion designer Daniel Mizzi with Geelong fashionistas and designers Gerry Carey and Claudine Cabot from Geraldine Australia. Image: James Taylor
Melbourne fashion photographer Nathan James with fashionista Yeane Yeane and performer Gabe Lewis. Image: James Taylor
“Revival Runway has always been inclusive and supportive of all creative talent. When we were approached by Nathan about collaborating with Queer Connect to promote Queer Designers we were thrilled! With similar visions, our energy is in abundance and this event is going to be spectacular. We’re very excited,” says Sofie Carfi, the founder of Revival Runway.
Geelong genius’ Emily Rastas from Emipelli, The Artist Known As Foot and Lazarus Gordon from Queery This. Image: James Taylor
The absolutely stunning Samala Cronin, the designer of Mumred. Image: James Taylor
Melbourne-based Queer designers and makers Lazarus Gordon, Wilson Jedd Adams, Milky Plug Kid, Chelsea Farquhar, The Artist Known As Foot, Jude Ng, Isadora Nim and Baaqiy were joined on the runway by a cast of queer volunteer models from a range of creative fields including drag artists, dancers, comedians, burlesque performers and community taste-makers.
The brilliant sound architect for the Queer By Design runway show, DJ Re_Image. Image: James Taylor
Fabulous Queer By Design guests. Image: James Taylor
“Queer By Design is a dream of mine that has been many years in the making. To be able to combine two integral parts of my identity – fashion and the queer community – and doing it in collaboration with my nonprofit organisation Queer Connect and the Revival Runway team is so fulfilling and exciting. I can’t wait for Naarm and the world to see this show and what it stands for and the opportunity to be exposed to how brilliant the queer talent is in Naarm,” says Nathan Van, founder of Queer Connect.
The fabulous founders of Revival Runway and Queer Connect: Nathan Van [left], Sofi Carfi [centre] and Darren Halsted [right]. Image: Charlotte Coombs
Rushing to get to their seat! Image: James Taylor
“We feel strongly about supporting small, independent fashion designers and creatives, particularly those who are generally given less attention,” explains Niki Bruce, the creative director for Revival Runway.
“We want to give a huge and very grateful Thank You to all our amazing volunteers and supporters. We could not do what we do without the help of our backstage and front of house teams, the brilliant photographers and videographers who share their talents with us, and the multi-talented makeup and hair artists, not to mention all the fabulous models!”
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Main image: Nathan Van in Baaqiy shot by Naina
