On a slightly grey Melbourne Sunday, The Willows in St Kilda exploded with colour as the guests at Miss Greens Garden Party gathered to celebrate sustainable fashion and the closing day of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. Having spent the past week agonising over what to wear to the Garden Party (fans of my blog will remember the article last week about the perfect lilac dress…) you will all be pleased to know I exercised some restraint and wore the Arthur Galan dress – accessorised with gunmetal grey Betts shoes, purple quilted clutch, purple driving gloves, grey ¾ sleeve coat and a purple flower for my hair. All in all I wasn’t disappointed with my outfit – although found it decidedly amusing that my green contact lenses drew more attention that my carefully planned attire!

But onto the story of the day – Miss Green – and her wonderful ability to pull together a spectacular event that was a success in every way. From the playing cards on arrival to receive your complimentary glass of Raw organic wine, to the fashion parade and auction, the afternoon flew by in a haze of laughter, meeting new people and fawning over the sustainably designed outfits that were in every way unique.
It was such a thrill to arrive at the Willows on Sunday afternoon, a gorgeous venue in itself, to see the crowd of beautifully dressed guests on the lawn clearly enjoying the ambience of the party. Miss Green herself was decked out in a black and white polka dot dress designed by Nicholangela, while others showed off all colours of the rainbow and beyond. Fascinators, hats, heels and various other adornments were spotted and admired from across the garden while photographers roamed and requested group shots – and didn’t we all feel like celebrities when chosen to pose!
T2, Love at First Bite Cupcakes and The Willows provided the yummiest of food and drinks while the bar was also busy preparing dazzling cocktails and mocktails for the masses. Time flies when you’re having fun and before long, the fashion parade was ready to begin. Designs by Alexi Freeman, Nicholangela, Nikolina, Eva Q Designs, Tiffany Treloar, Jenny Bannister, Miss Lyndel Yeo, Sideshow Design, Leonard Str, Made in Donald, K.B.A.D, Sara Victoria, Hopeless, Lady Petrova, Anna Campbell and Daviseyes  graced the runway, showcasing how vintage fabrics and thrift store finds can be transformed into magnificent works of art and completely wearable spring racing attire. Accessories by Joolz and Hair Facinators with shoes by Melissa completed the looks – the crowd oohed and ahhed as each look was paraded and secretly decided which they coveted the most. Best dressed male and female was awarded, the raffle was drawn and then to the business end of the day – auctioning the stunning designs for a fraction of their value, with 50% of the proceeds being awarded to charity.

Kristina Kukolja, MC, conducted the auction and the designs were bought out once more. Designers’ favourite charities included the RSPCA, the Kidney Foundation and Clean Up Australia, and the bidding began. Opening bids of just $100 quickly became up to $300 for some of the popular designs, while some girls snapped up a real bargain at just $100.
Miss Greens’ speech encompassed her dream and passion for all things sustainable fashion and was finished off beautifully with a glowing tribute to her dad for Fathers Day that had half the room with a tear in their eye. Her aim to raise awareness about using sustainable and ecologically friendly products is well on its way, and we can only hope that future Miss Green Wardrobe events and Garden Parties have all the success that was found at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. I had a wonderful afternoon at the Garden Party, was thrilled to meet some of the girls I have only conversed with on Twitter. We also took home a fabulous goodie bag with plenty of sustainable products, chips and chocolate. A wonderful end to Fashion Week – only 216 days til the Loreal Fashion Festival in March!       

Visit www.missgreenswardrobe.com.au