WHAT THE F*CK WAS FFWD?
From 1 - 4 August, we joined forces with iconic restaurateur Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room & Bar) and high profile wine judge and critic Mike Bennie (P&V Wine + Liquor) to create FFWD Festival - an IYKYK fashion, food, wine and music mash-up headlined by Julian Hamilton (The Presets) at a converted substation in the heart of Sydney.
Centered around a fashion market in Machine Hall’s colossal steel and glass atrium, FFWD presented a collection of new season and archival pieces curated from our stable of renegade designers – including Comme des Garcons, Acne Studios, Diesel, Issey Miyake, Marni and MM6 Maison Margiela.
Opening Night Cocktail Party
On August 1st, FFWD Festival began with a sold-out opening night Cocktail Party filled with more than 600 Sydneysiders.
Party-goers were treated to live sets from Psychedelic rock band Velvet Trip and Julian Hamilton from The Presets before taking part in a champagne fuelled charity auction of archive Comme Des Garçons pieces. We raised just under $5000 for integrated cancer hospital Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.
Click here to learn more about the opening night cocktail party and charity auction.
Fashion Market + Archive Sale
On Friday 2nd August, we opened the doors to our Fashion Market + Archive Sale.
Framed by a colourful, eclectic installation by Brett Westfall, visitors shopped our collection of internationally acclaimed designers such as Acne Studios, Comme Des Garçons, Issey Miyake, Marni, Maison Margiela and Dover Street Market – all on offer for extraordinary prices.
Fashion, Art and Food Industry Panels
GA tickets to FFWD Festival included exclusive access to panel discussions from industry experts in fashion, art, wine, food and music. Sydney based fashion designer Jordan Gogos delved deep into his manufacturing techniques and Maurice Terzini of Icebergs Dinning Room & Bar broke down his legacy as one of Australia’s most renowned restaurateurs.
Archibald Portrait Prize winner Claus Stangl talked art and creative strategy, as Brian Taranto and James Bellesini from Love Police explained the production of Taylor Swift’s band merch, and told the unbelievable story of how they brought The Strokes to Australia for the first time in 2001 as a supporting act for Australian band You Am I.
When Mike Bennie wasn’t hosting his daily natural wine masterclass, he joined the industry panels to take the audience through all of his spectacular expertise.
High & Low: John Galliano
GA tickets to FFWD Festival included access to a screening of High & Low: John Galliano, a captivating cinematic journey into the life of the enigmatic designer from Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald.
Featuring candid interviews with John Galliano himself, this singular documentary was shown to a full house on Friday and Saturday afternoon.
Gourmet Food, Wine and Cocktails
P&V and Archie Rose served up delicious cocktails and natural wines throughout, while Icebergs Dining Room & Bar offered short and sharp variations on their iconic menu.
Crowd favourites included the Porcini Risotto, the Tuna Tartare with seaweed crisps, and Harry’s Bar Sandwich with Glazed Ham, Fontina and Mustard.
Afterparty
After hours, vinyl DJ collective fanático played until late at the FFWD Festival afterparty hosted in the Vault – Machine Hall’s dedicated late night party space.
FFWD Festival was held at Machine Hall in 2024 from Thursday 1st August - Sunday 4th August.If you missed out on FFWD Festival in 2024, never fear. This is part of an ongoing series of events that will get bigger, better, and slightly more raucous with every year.
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Click to read Vogue’s coverage of FFWD Festival.
Click to read Time Out’s coverage of FFWD Festival.
Click to read Concrete Playground’s coverage of FFWD Festival.