Spring has well and truly arrived in our fair Melbourne – and what better way for the city to celebrate than to coax all the most stylish flocks of models, designers, photographers, bloggers and fashion die-hards out to play at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week (MSFW).

With all the runways and VIP events going on all over town, there’s the usual dilemma: how to choose which to grace with your presence?

Standouts that aren’t yet sold out include the Art of the Cocktail Hour Events – the roaring ’20s are influencing fashion at the moment, celebrated during MSFW with a cocktail party at Town Hall, featuring designer runways, canapés, nibbles, entertainment and sultry jazz music. Sounds like a perfectly decadent way to experience the best of fashion to us. Tickets are $97. Be quick, they’re disappearing fast.

For recessionistas, there are plenty of free runways and events to lurk around, including the MSFW@City Square series, where you can see new collections by the likes of De Cjuba, French Connection, Marcs and Jigsaw – conveniently shown during your lunch hour from noon-2pm. Pick up a piadini from nearby Superfino Deli (275 Flinders Ln) and drop into the Lavazza coffee tent for a free latte to accompany.

Now, what to wear while you’re traipsing all over the city?

A nice antidote to Melbourne’s penchant for black is the colour-blocking trend – the fun electric colours also ensure attention from the social pages photographers. Heels or chunky wedges are a must, but you can cheat by sneaking a pair of Tipsy Toes into your clutch between events.

During downtime, primp yourself at the free Kevin Murphy Style Bar at City Square, where hair stylists will be on hand to do your ’do. Then pop in to the Nikon tent to post in front of your very own paparazzi pack, model-style, so you can upload the pics later straight from the web to Facebook…  After all, what’s the point of going if no one knows you were there?

When: 5-11 Sep
Where: All over the CBD
Details: melbourne.vic.gov.au/msfw

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