RMIT students take over Town Hall Station for Melbourne Fashion Week

Melbourne’s newest underground train station has been given a high-fashion makeover, with RMIT fashion students transforming Town Hall Station into a futuristic runway as part of this year’s Melbourne Fashion Week celebrations.

The unique collaboration between RMIT and the Metro Tunnel Project saw five student-designed looks unveiled inside the still-to-open Town Hall Station, marking the first creative takeover of the new underground space ahead of its much-anticipated opening in early December.

Inspired by the theme “Future Commuter”, the students were challenged to create bold, forward-thinking garments reflecting the Metro Tunnel’s design language – its sleek architecture, vibrant colour palette and the energy of tomorrow’s Melbourne.

Each outfit was modelled against the dramatic backdrop of the new platforms, escalators and lighting features, offering a rare preview of what will soon be one of Melbourne’s busiest transport hubs.

Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams said the collaboration celebrated both design and engineering excellence.

“Reflecting the bold design and brilliant architecture of our Metro Tunnel stations, these RMIT students are getting a first look at the city’s future – and helping us celebrate this game-changing project in style,” she said.

“The Metro Tunnel is the biggest transformation of Victoria’s public transport network in more than 40 years, getting Victorians to work, uni and home sooner – and it’s opening a full year ahead of schedule.”

The takeover also revived a quirky piece of Melbourne history, paying homage to “Flagstaff Fashions”, a 1985 fashion show staged inside the then-new Flagstaff Station during the opening of the City Loop. Forty years on, the Metro Tunnel has reignited that connection between fashion and transport innovation, reimagining how the city’s infrastructure can inspire creativity.

RMIT’s Katrina Rose, program manager for fashion and textiles in the College of Vocational Education, said the partnership gave students an opportunity to push boundaries.

“This has been such a fantastic opportunity for our students to flex their creative muscle and showcase their incredible talents,” she said. “They’ve explored what the future of fashion might look like for Melbourne’s commuters – all in one of the most unique locations imaginable.”

When it opens later this year, the Metro Tunnel will deliver five new state-of-the-art stations – Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac – transforming how students, workers and visitors move across Melbourne’s inner city.