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1 Hotel Melbourne to host Melbourne Fashion Week’s opening ganbu marra runway

Phoebe Blogg Published October 13, 2025 at 11.45am (AWST)

1 Hotel Melbourne exterior. Image: Mikkel Vang.

1 Hotel Melbourne is proud to be the official accommodation partner of the 2025 Melbourne Fashion Week ganbu marra runway runway event.

An inspiring celebration of Blak excellence showcasing both emerging and established First Nations designers, the ganbu marra runway will take place on October 20.

Set against the backdrop of 1 Hotel Melbourne's ballroom, the event will bring together the worlds of fashion, culture, and environmental consciousness in an evening of style and storytelling.

Managing director at 1 Hotel Melbourne, Damon Page, said the hotel is "deeply honoured" to host the ganbu marra runway.

"This collaboration with Melbourne Fashion Week is more than just a partnership; it's a meeting of values, embedding our commitment to sustainability, and creating moments of meaning. Fashion is not just what you wear; it's how you inhabit place, story, and community," he said.

The ganbu marra runway (meaning 'one mob' in Woi Wurrung) honours the strength, creativity, and innovation of First Nations designers.

This year's lineup features Banbu, Gammin Threads, Goompi's Girl, Jaru Girl, Kaninda, King King Creative, Laundry, Tjarlili, Yanggurdi, Yapa Mali, and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, each presenting ready-to-wear collections that blend bold modernity with deep cultural roots.

*1 Hotel Melbourne_River King Room (Image: Mikkel Vang)*

*Designs by Clair Helen on the 2024 ganbu Marra runway. (Image: Naomi Rahim)*

Melbourne Fashion Week's collaboration with 1 Hotel Melbourne will create a celebration of the country's top fashion talent.

1 Hotel Melbourne proudly weaves the city's identity into every detail of the property, from reclaimed timber furnishings from local artisanal suppliers, to locally sourced stone, to an art collection that showcases contemporary Indigenous Australian artists such as Naminapu Maymuru-White and Yhonnie Scarce.

As the official accommodation partner, 1 Hotel Melbourne will also welcome Melbourne Fashion Weeks visiting artists, media, and designers to stay within its serene, design-led rooms and spaces; each thoughtfully curated to reflect a sense of calm, community, and connection to place.

This partnership marks a defining moment where great style, meaningful storytelling, and environmental awareness converge, embodying the very spirit of both Melbourne Fashion Week and 1 Hotel Melbourne.

The sold out Ganbu marra runway will be held at 1 Hotel Melbourne from 8:00pm — 8:30pm, on the 20th of October 2025.

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