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As it got close to 6 PM on a Friday night during Melbourne Fashion Week, I made my way to Emporium Melbourne, entered via Lonsdale Street and boarded the first of three escalators that would take me to the fourth floor. At the top of the final escalator, milling expectantly around a doorway, there was a crowd.

The fashion set had gathered for the Emporium's Hidden Runway. A group show that featured a mix of local and international designers, from Jac + Jack to BEC + BRIDGE, from Sandro to Zadig et Voltaire.

As I got ushered inside, I could see a wide, magenta carpet had been laid down the length of a very long room, between rows of chairs. Enormous groups of plants were evenly spaced down its centre. The ferns, trees and palms stretching almost as high as the ceiling. Under a warm light, their enormous green leaves and long branches gave the room a distinctly tropical feel.

The lights dimmed slightly to mark the start of the show. Teejae Mai, the DJ who was mixing music from the end of the runway, turned up the volume. She was an ethereal presence behind the decks with waist length braids and an iridescent silver top. She played a remix of Summer in the ends by Juls Zikomo, while a model wearing a stripey dress by Jac + Jack made her way down the runway, walking in a smooth curve around the ferns.

She would be followed by outfit after outfit in the earthy tones of Jac + Jack’s Spring Summer range. Long dresses in stripes, silky turmeric or sunburnt orange accompanied shirt-and-short sets in brown and blue cotton twill. The fabrics were easy wearing and breathable – perfect for days spent in the sun.

The styling was so relaxed, I instantly wanted to be on holiday. The deep beats – or perhaps it was the DJ - reminded me of a nightclub somewhere humid, where the dancefloor is crowded and the beach isn’t far away. I had the sense we weren’t at a normal show, a feeling that was heightened as the inclusive cast of models posed and primped at the end of the runway. They glanced at the press pit over the top of their sunglasses and slipped their shirts off and on again.

“My vision for the runway was to transport people to somewhere new,” says Karinda Mutabazi, the show’s stylist and creative director, “being inside the shopping centre surrounded by plants, I wanted them to discover an oasis.”

Búl came next and with the collection of another theme: pops of colour. Yellow cardigans styled with orange skirts and tangerine slip dresses layered with hot pink t-shirts. The final look, a cornflower blue suit, confirmed the collection was all about dopamine dressing (a trend which won’t be going anywhere for a while). Each look was accessorised with more colour, like tiny bags from Orange Cube. One particularly green hat drew a gasp from a guest behind me and a stage whisper, “I love.”

The elegant suits and neat tailoring of Calibre followed. Narrow-legged pants and fitted jackets were styled with open-necked polos. The looks were a gear change and we were transported from the tropics to the French Riviera – a location we’d return to with Sandro (preppy), M. J. Bale (shorts and blazers) and bassike (twinsets).

In total, there were twelve brands that presented collections. As the runway evolved, taking the crowd on a journey through exotic destinations, the things we would all be wearing this summer were revealed.

“Definitely an explosion of colour,” says Mutabazi, “the prints are bold, not traditional spring florals, they’re quite vivid.” Styles from the early 2000s will also remain popular, while being slightly reimagined, like cargo pants with a slimmer line from BEC + BRIDGE or Manning Cartell and a slouchy three-piece suit from Viktoria & Woods.

In terms of shoes, Mutabazi says, “we’re definitely in a flat shoe revolution or at least a very low kitten heel, or sandal for the summer. There are also a lot of loafers and sneakers being paired back with dresses. So, there’s glamour but there’s also comfort.”

Glamour and comfort could have easily been the name of the show. Each collection an elegant mix of light and breezy dresses and stylish short sets, well cut suits and easy-wearing shirts.

The embodiment of this luxe-casual vibe was Oroton, who closed the show. From an adorable mini robe in a bright yellow and green print, to a maxi dress with a zucchini motif that could have been from the 1960s, to an adorable baby pink lace shift dress. The message was clear: it will be a summer of high vibes and good times.

A summer spent poolside or at long lunches by the sea. A summer of slow dinners and dance floors, of road trips and midnight swims. A summer to remind us we made it to the end of another year and there are brightly coloured days ahead.