‘It’s a testament to our work’: Kmart returns to Melbourne Fashion Festival
Kmart Australia returned to the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival (MFF) over the weekend, and while some argue the event is exclusively for designer brands, Rennie Freer, general manager of marketing, told Mumbrella that its inclusion is a testament to its “unique approach to fashion”.
Following its sell-out debut at the festival last year, Kmart returned guns blazing in 2024 with a Family Day event on Saturday, in an effort to bring together its community and celebrate affordable fashion.
“Being a part of PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival again allowed us to bring joy to our customers lives whilst simultaneously create new ways to bring our teams and our community together,” Freer told Mumbrella.
The retailer’s involvement at MFF aimed to encourage a wider audience to engage with its “inclusive and accessible representation of the everyday Aussie”. According to Freer, Kmart believes style is something to be enjoyed by anyone and everyone, as it has the power to create a connection despite age or income.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for Kmart to once again be included in such a well renowned Australian fashion event and we are very proud to be included amongst such a talented and diverse breadth of runway designers,” she said.
“We feel that our inclusion again this year is a testament to the work our amazing teams do every day to deliver on trend styles for Australian families. We have an in-house design team of over 50 Melbourne-based designers that use insights and research from around the globe to find the latest trends and styles and seamlessly integrate them into the affordable, versatile products that are buildable in our customer’s wardrobes.”
Freer told Mumbrella fashion has many dimensions, but the one consistency is that everyone wants the opportunity to express themselves in what they wear, and how they look.
“It has always been our belief that everybody, irrespective of where you live or how much money you earn, should have access to good quality product and design, and we believe that Kmart’s role is to make fashion affordable and make everyday products accessible for all,” she explained.
“It gives our customers the ability to have fun and enjoy items they couldn’t previously justify the cost of – so they can express their creativity and still balance their budgets.”
Described as a celebration of style, family and “our unique Kmart joy”, the Family Day included a runway showcasing the retailer’s everyday, affordable, on-trend looks.
It included a line-up of Kmart’s currently available pieces, as well as a sneak-peek of never-before-seen items, developed by the retailer’s designers.
The runway also highlighted Kmart’s ethically sourced pieces across women’s, men’s and kid’s fashion.
“PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival provides a great opportunity for us to highlight our locally led design offerings while also creating a free family day out allowing our teams and families to connect without breaking the bank. They are on-trend and low priced to be accessible to all Australian families,” Freer concluded.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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topics
affordable fashion
fashion
Kmart
Kmart Australia
Melbourne Fashion Festival
PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival
Rennie Freer
Aren’t we trying to move towards ethical and sustainable fashion? Kmart is neither- during production or in disposal.
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