Shepparton Fashion Series tickets will go on sale at 4.00pm AEST today (Thursday 27 August 2026) with 20 events taking place from 3-11 October 2026.
With the Archibald Prize 2026 also on show at Shepparton Art Museum, there’s never been a better time to visit the colourful heart of Victoria. Archibald artists Caroline Zilinsky, Stieg Persson and Taryn Cameron-Smith are featured in the Shepparton Fashion Series programme, alongside designers Akira Isogawa, Richard Nylon and Josh Deane - creating the ultimate fashion and art crossover.
Tickets for the Bendigo Fashion Series are already on sale with over 30 events taking place from 12- 20 September 2026.
After 30 inspiring years, PayPal Australian Fashion Festival recently announced a new brand strategy, changing its name from Melbourne Fashion Festival to reflect a broader national agenda, while remaining deeply connected in Melbourne and proudly part of the Victorian major events calendar.
Integral to this strategy is becoming a year-round fashion platform and expanding the Festival’s footprint beyond Greater Melbourne. The Bendigo and Shepparton Fashion Series embody this approach, both taking place outside the Festival's usual annual February / March event dates.
PayPal Australian Fashion Festival Executive Director, Prue Mahar, said “The Bendigo and Shepparton Fashion Series are an exciting new step in continuing to extend PayPal Australian Fashion Festival’s footprint beyond metropolitan boundaries and deepening the commitment to fashion communities Victoria-wide. We’re creating meaningful opportunities for local designers, makers and creatives to be showcased on a major platform, while inviting new audiences to engage with fashion in a distinctly regional context. We’re proud to collaborate with Visit Victoria, City of Greater Bendigo and Greater Shepparton City Council and an incredible network of local partners to bring this programme to life.”
Victoria’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Natalie Suleyman, said: "For the first time, the Australian Fashion Festival is bringing its talks, workshops and exhibitions to Bendigo and Shepparton, giving regional communities a front-row seat to the best fashion talent in the country. Backed by the Victorian Government's Regional Events Fund, these two new series will draw visitors into the regions, fill local hotels and restaurants, and put Bendigo and Shepparton on the map for fashion lovers from around the world."
PayPal Australia Managing Director, Simon Banks, said: “Australian fashion is powered by creative businesses and communities right across the country, so it’s exciting to see the PayPal Australian Fashion Festival expanding beyond its traditional calendar and bringing fashion experiences to new audiences in regional Victoria. Fashion is PayPal’s largest retail category in Australia, and we’re proud to support more than 150,000 Australian fashion retailers and designers to connect with customers here and around the world. The Bendigo and Shepparton Fashion Series are a great example of how the Festival can champion Australian fashion year-round, and we’re excited to continue supporting its growth.”
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, said this is a great opportunity to welcome visitors to the region and boost the local economy. “PayPal Australian Fashion Festival will attract fashion enthusiasts from across Victoria, boosting visitation to our region and further positioning Greater Shepparton as a leading arts, culture and events destination. Events of this calibre play an important role in supporting our visitor economy, creating opportunities for visitors to discover our region, support local businesses and experience everything Greater Shepparton has to offer. We're particularly excited to see local creatives and community groups take part in the program, showcasing the talent, innovation and creativity that make our region unique."
Anchored in the vibrant regional centre of Shepparton, Yorta Yorta Country, the Shepparton Fashion Series features 20 unique events, all under $60 and many of them free, including talks, workshops exhibitions, tours and shopping events.
Shepparton Fashion Series events produced by the Festival include:
- In Conversation with Akira Isogawa (3 Oct) – join Akira Isogawa for an in conversation with fashion curator, Paola Di Trocchio, on his 30+ year long career as one of Australia's foremost fashion designers and what it was like to sit for the Archibald.
- Caroline Zilinsky on Painting the Zimmermann sisters (4 Oct) – artist Caroline Zilinsky shares her experience painting Australian's most famous ashion sisters for the Archibald.
- Fashion Tour with Richard Nylon: a Focus on Millinery (10 Oct) – milliner Richard Nylon talks about the history of millinery and millinery techniques at the Loel Thompson Costume Collection.
- Stieg Persson on Painting Virginia Trioli (3 Oct) – join Archibald artist Stieg Persson as he shares the process behind painting Australian journalist, Virginia Trioli, known for her keen fashion sense.
- Upcycling Workshop with Josh Deane (11 Oct) – give your wardrobe a sustainable and artistic refresh in these two unique upcycling workshops, one with a teen focus and the other for adults, by award-winning First Nations artist and designer, Josh Deane.
- Bringing Out Your Best Self for the Camera (4 Oct) – two-hour workshop with fashion photographer, Jordan Drysdale, on what it takes to bring out your best self in front of the camera.
- Shibori Spiral Technique with Akira Isogawa (3 Oct) – join Australian fashion design legend, Akira Isogawa, for a textile workshop and learn his signature spiral shibori technique.
- Capturing Fashion People (3 Oct) – Archibald finalists Stieg Persson and Taryn CameronSmith and fashion photographer Jordan Drysdale come together for a talk that interrogates what it is to capture people in paint and light.
- Why We Wear What We Wear with Lauren Di Bartolo (10 Oct) – drawing on more than 20 years in fashion styling, Lauren Di Bartolo will unpack why some clothes feel inherently “us”, why others don’t, and how understanding your own patterns can help you make more considered choices.
- Fashion Tour with Tom McEvoy (4 Oct) – join fashion historian Tom McEvoy for a tour of the Loel Thompson Costume Collection featuring over 10,000 unique pieces of every day Australian fashion from Federation to the present day.
- Behind the Runway Exhibition (5-9 Oct) – go backstage at the 2026 PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival to see models styled in fashion looks through the privileged lens of the backstage photographer, and experience the joy and anticipation before the models enter the runway.
- Fashion Tour with Richard Nylon: a Focus on Elaborate Fabrics and Techniques (11 Oct) – join milliner Richard Nylon for a talk on a history of intricate materials in the Loel Thompson Costume Collection.
Shepparton Fashion Series events produced independently by the local community include:
- GV. Pride Clothes Swap (11 Oct) – a clothes-swap and pride-runway event including fingerfood lunch and celebrations for the LGBTIQA+ community with a focus on trans and gender diverse affirmative clothing and expression.
- Kaiela Arts (5 Oct) – a hands-on workshop at the Kaiela Arts studio, inviting participants to design and create their own wearable fashion accessories using traditional weaving and fibrework techniques alongside natural, found materials sourced from Country.
- Fortin Hats (3-11 Oct) – pop-up millinery studio and exhibition showcasing the traditional handcraft of hat making.
- Runway on Maude (9 Oct) – a Shepparton Arts Festival production celebrating local creativity and community spirit, featuring talented creators, makers and small business owners from across Greater Shepparton.
- Amplify Youth (10 Oct) – a free hub for young people aged 12 to 25 to build new skills, connect with like-minded creatives, and gain insight into the creative industries with a focus on fashion and costume design.
- Shana Kreek – Personal Stylist (10 Oct) – an intimate chat with a small group of women about dressing to feel good with styling hints on how to elevate your basics.
- Fab n Fun – Tie Dye Workshop (8 Oct) – tie dye tote bags, pillowcases or t-shirts using Australian made vibrant and pale colours.
PayPal Australian Fashion Festival’s Shepparton Fashion Series takes place from 3-11 October 2026 with tickets on sale at 4pm on Thursday 27 August 2026.
