Inclusion and diversity were key themes for 2021 Melbourne Fashion Week
Architecture & Access was engaged by City of Melbourne to support Melbourne Fashion Week 2021 to be a glamorous beacon of diversity and inclusion. With a range of runway venues as diverse as the models who would promenade along them, providing access for the talent and guests was a priority.
Indoor and outdoor locations included the Botanic Gardens, heritage listed Regent Theatre Ballroom and Queen and Collins building, Emporium Melbourne, Federation Square, Sealife Melbourne Aquarium and even the basement carpark at the MCG! Each venue presented both challenges and opportunities for providing access.
The pandemic threatened cancellation and delayed site visits, but organisers forged bravely on. Architecture & Access were able to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances and provided advice on the design of the runways, promotional information, wayfinding signage and the training provided to the event staff and volunteers.
“Inclusion and diversity are key themes for this year’s Melbourne Fashion Week. The festival engaged accessibility agency Architecture & Access for runways and events to ensure all spaces and events are available to all”. (The Age 16th November 2021)
This article in The Age features Melbourne Fashion Week models with disability and the accessible fashion they wore, designed by adaptive design platform “EveryHuman”. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/a-place-for-every-human-at-melbourne-fashion-week-20211116-p5998s.html
