Guests including Myer's star designers Jayson Brunsdon and Leona Edmiston spilled onto the dock from a fleet of limousines or were delivered by boat equipped with French champagne from the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival's earlier show at Central Pier.
Former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins — Myer's regal blonde to David Jones' retiring bombshell brunette Megan Gale — made her hip-swinging way across a catwalk ringed by VIPs and celebrities.
She wore a whipped cream, floor grazing, va-va-voom gown by Toni Maticevski, 40 models stampeding onto the catwalk after her in a rocking 30-minute show, never pausing more than a few seconds on the giant catwalk.
The store's stable of designer labels covered every hot look of a new winter: neat and nerdy menswear looks by Tommy Hilfiger, slick Playboy looks by Hugo Boss, and monotone militaristic casuals by Myer house brand Blaq.
Last year, Melbourne designer Yeojin Bae was quickly snapped up by Myer after she won the fashion festival design award. The swinging volumes of her sweet chic group, including an exceptional navy tailored pants suit and a hooded cape, proved the pudding.
Lisa Gorman's rainbow stripe knit dress was a joyous antithesis to the creeping and inevitable popularity of black. New Zealand designer Karen Walker's new diffusion line for Myer, "Hi There", was a cute name for an eclectic group of bulls-eye components: pussy-bow blouse, soft graphic print frocks and a high-waisted sailor trouser.
The show's thumping backtrack varied but never faltered. The trends stomped out, thick and fast — pin-thin and wide-legged trousers, micro-mini and knee-length hemlines, flapping trench-style coats, and alternative jackets and coats with soft sloppy volumes draping slack down the body.
In a show-stopping finale, Jennifer Hawkins left as she had arrived, flanked by 10 models, this time in designs by the king of flounce, Nicola Finetti. Hawkins' gown was dove-grey, fluttering chiffon, with petals of grey silk spanned across its strapless bodice.
Earlier, the first day's usual VIP lunch was held at Docklands' Central Pier, the week's principal show venue.
The lavish lunch is a traditional "taster" event for the festival's bigwigs, designers and overseas guests — including, yesterday, the "face" of the festival, Cashmere Mafia actress Miranda Otto.
Dutch-born, New York-based supermodel Doutzen Kroes, 23 was also invited on stage and delighted cynics in the audience over 25 by asserting that she was "quite old" but luckily "still feels young".
As an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund, Kroes said she also hopes to "go to the North Pole and save the bears there". Such is fashion.
