How We Celebrated 55 Years

This year was truly monumental as we celebrated our rich history & looked ahead to an exciting future. One of the many highlights was hosting a series of stylish & unforgettable events, & it’s no surprise that Fella Hamilton’s fashion parades, held in celebration of our 55th anniversary, were a tremendous success.

Fella Hamilton High Tea & Fashion Parade at National Wine Centre of Australia in Adelaide

The celebrations kicked off on October 16th with a High Tea and Fashion Parade in Fella Hamilton’s hometown of Melbourne, hosted at Leonda By The Yarra in Hawthorn—the suburb of the first retail store, which opened in 1987 and continues to operate today.

On October 28th, Adelaide played host to the second High Tea and Fashion Parade at the National Wine Centre of Australia, delighting locals who adore a dash of glamour with their high tea!

And last, but certainly not least, we wrapped up the celebrations with two Sydney Fashion Parades on November 4th at St Ives Shopping Village.

The fashion shows were hosted by our very own Susie from Styling with Susie, with special guests and owners David and Sharon playing a star role. In Melbourne, the iconic Marianne Van Dorslar kicked off the event with a video presentation and a Q&A session featuring David and Sharon. Behind-the-scenes footage and personalised questions gave guests an opportunity to connect with and feel the essence of the brand we all love. Susie then took the lead on stage, guiding our stunning models down the catwalk to showcase garments from our summer catalogue.

Susie has worked at Fella Hamilton for 8 years and is currently in full swing as a presenter for Fella Hamilton. If you don’t see her hosting a fashion parade around the country, you will most definitely see her online through one of many social channels including You Tube, Instagram and most recently the TVSN Shopping Channel.

Sharon & David Hamilton, joined by Marianne Van Dorslar and Susie on the microphone

Our vintage clothing display in Melbourne and Adelaide offered a nostalgic look back at Fella Hamilton’s rich history, showcasing the foundation upon which the brand has been built. With a glass in hand, our guests enjoyed a glimpse into some of the clothing that has shaped the brand's success.

A High Tea was served to tables with a spread including an elegant selection of pastries, scones, finger sandwiches, tea and coffee.

Meanwhile, the two Sydney fashion events took shopping to a whole new level. Models strutted their stuff right in the shopping centre and into a boutique setup of seated guests, giving them an up-close-and-personal look at every must-have piece for the new season.

Fella Hamilton fashion parade at St Ives Shopping Village in Sydney

Our models across all three states did a fabulous job. From social media influencers who bring Fella Hamilton garments to life online, to beloved customers, dedicated team members owning the runway, and the one and only Marianne Van Dorslar—model extraordinaire and one of Melbourne’s wonderful spokeswomen—everyone shone in the spotlight!

A huge thank you to our treasured guests, including our loyal customers and past and present staff, who went out of their way to attend these events—and to all the amazing members from our partner organisations including the Doherty Institute, Zonta, Rotary, Anna Blatman, Days for Girls, Fitted for Work, Inner Wheel, BCNA, and so many more. All were dressed to impress, many in Fella Hamilton’s fashion from this season, along with some cherished past favourites.

From ticket sales, we raised $1,680, which will be donated to Breast Cancer Network Australia. This amount contributes to the pool of funds raised through our Breast Cancer Awareness Month Tea Towel campaign, with $5 from every Anna Blatman Love Story Tea Towel also supporting the cause.

Through the raffle tickets sold at the Melbourne and Adelaide events, we raised an incredible $5,070 for the Doherty Institute, a world-class institute dedicated to research in infectious diseases and immunity, and $3,000 for Zonta Australia, a leading global organisation empowering woman worldwide through service and advocacy. Thanks to David and Sharon, whose contributions further enhanced the impact of this amount. The response to our charity raffle was truly amazing, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to all the guests who contributed to this cause.

Just as David Hamilton raised a toast to his mother, at our High Tea events, we’re raising a virtual toast now on this blog to the unforgettable Fella Hamilton and everything she represented. Cheers to style, community, and timeless elegance!

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