Virgin Australia is set to make aviation and fashion history when the airline holds its first-ever fashion runway in the sky during a flight from Sydney to Melbourne on Tuesday 13 February, headlined by international model Kelly Gale.

Flying in from Los Angeles, Gale, a Swedish-Australian model of Indian and Australian descent, best known for her role in the 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, said the opportunity is a natural fit.

“Aviation runs in the family - my mum is a pilot - so I jumped at the chance to be involved in the Virgin Australia Runway in the Sky and be part of a very unique catwalk!

“I’m very excited to be returning to Australia and catching up on the latest Australian fashion trends, and visiting my dad and extended family who live Melbourne,” said Gale.

The event, dubbed ‘Runway in the Sky’, is in celebration of Virgin Australia’s fifth consecutive year as Principal Partner of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF), and will feature Gale and 13 models parading down the aisles of the airline’s Airbus A330 aircraft, wearing celebrated Australian designer label, Ginger & Smart.

Virgin Australia Group Executive Brand, Marketing and Public Affairs Danielle Keighery said Virgin Australia is known for doing things differently and this unique event is the perfect way to take their support for the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival to new heights.

“We’re thrilled to host the Runway in the Sky, headlined by the beautiful Kelly Gale who has flown with us all the way from Los Angeles for the event.

“Fashion is a major tourism driver for Melbourne and we’re really pleased to support events like the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival to help bring tourists from around Australia and the world to celebrate Melbourne and its fashion,” said Keighery.

VAMFF CEO, Graeme Lewsey said, ”As Australia’s largest fashion event, we are thrilled to be in our fifth year of partnership with Virgin Australia to provide a far-reaching campaign to attract Festival go-ers to Melbourne in March.”

Once the aircraft has safely reached cruising altitude, the models will make their way through the aircraft, parading past more than 200 surprised passengers.

Show producer Cat Rose said coordinating runway shows on the ground is often challenging in a normal situation, let alone with the added complexity of being on a plane.

“It’s not every day that you’re asked to pull together a fashion runway at 30,000 feet. There are so many elements to consider, from lighting, to sound, to guest comfort, and most importantly safety, but we’ve been able to navigate all of these challenges, in a constricted space, to create an incredible show,” said Rose.

Ginger & Smart designers, Genevieve and Alexandra Smart, said, "It is wonderful to be given the opportunity to preview our Autumn Winter 2018 Ginger & Smart collection in such a unique setting, prior to the Virgin Australia Grand Showcase.”

This year will see the largest number of runways in the Festival’s history, with 47 runways taking place between 1-18 March, showcasing Australia’s established and emerging designers. The Virgin Australia Grand Showcase, held on Thursday 8 March, will honour the Australian designer label, Ginger & Smart.

Tickets and travel experiences are on sale now.

For more information, visit: www.vamff.com.au.