Royal Botanic Runway: where fashion meets flowers

The stunning setting of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens will become the stage for the inaugural Royal Botanic Runway on Thursday 30 January. Featuring collections from four world-renowned Australian fashion designers – Akira Isogawa, Aurelio Costarella, Collette Dinnigan and Martin Grant – the outdoor runway will blend fashion with fundraising to help with the final stage of the gardens’ Water Strategy Project.

We spoke to Royal Botanic Gardens Director Professor Tim Entwisle about the event and his vision for a ‘drought-proof’ gardens.

Where did the idea come from to create a runway in the gardens?

Geraldine Frater-Wyeth, from Event Gallery, and David Shelmerdine, a long-time supporter of the gardens, approached us with the idea. They were blown away by the setting and floral displays of Guilfoyle’s Volcano. This, they said, was the place where fashion could meet flowers. Not only will the Royal Botanic Runway bring new audiences to the gardens, but the funds raised will help drought-proof this Melbourne icon. And of course it will showcase the very best of Australian fashion in the most fashionable setting in Australia!

Tell us about the water strategy project that you’re raising funds for.

We have been working for a number of years on making Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne ‘drought-proof’. Our goal is to irrigate the entire botanic gardens without using tap water. Already we can get up to 40% of our needs from stormwater pumped up from the ornamental lake to Guilfoyle’s Volcano [the highest point in the gardens], then circulated through our wetlands to help clean it. The next stage is to add Yarra River water from above Dights Falls. The funds raised from the runway will help to support this work.

What do you think makes the gardens uniquely Melbourne?

The mix of old and new. Thanks to its second director, William Guilfoyle, the design of the gardens is unlike any other and recognised as one of the most stunning in the world. The beauty of the landscape is also due to the range of plants we can grow in Melbourne, from subtropical to cool temperate. New landscapes like Guilfoyle’s Volcano, the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden and the local Victorian plantings around Long Island show how modern design can add to our natural and cultural heritage. This is very Melbourne.

What’s your long-term vision for the gardens?

To create a place where plants are celebrated and appreciated for their beauty as well as their importance to life on Earth. Through our magnificent gardens, through science and spreading our knowledge, we will help people understand and value the role of plants in their lives.

The Royal Botanic Runway fashion event will be held at Guilfoyle’s Volcano in the Royal Botanic Gardens on Thursday 30 January.