If you love fashion and food, there’s a quarterly event that should be marked in bright red permanent marker in your diary (unless, you keep an electronic schedule, in which case…not a great idea). Since September last year, Hustle&Scout Twilight Fashion Market has brought lovers of fashion together with those who create it. In the words of event creator, Tegan McAuley,  it’s a “seasonal twilight fashion market that’s a little left of centre.”

“The event prides itself on showcasing high-quality, ethical fashion pieces by Australian designers, whilst providing visitors with a unique market experience,” she says.

“A typical market incorporates live music, a DJ, roaming models, live photo shoots, and more recently, new Canberra food market The Forage, which showcases regional cafes, restaurants bars, wineries and mobile vendors.

Hustle&Scout was born after “two perfectly-timed realisations last year”, reveals Tegan.

“The first occurred in early 2013, when I had an urge to start my own business to draw more on my creative side. I have always been a bit of a fashion-freak, so I contemplated how I could get more involved in the fashion industry. Around this time, I had been discussing a few business ideas with my friend Julie Nichols, owner of Handmade Market, and the possibility of a new fashion market popped up.”

Not long after, Tegan attended the inaugural Fashfest, where she was “blown-away by the wealth of design talent we have here in Canberra”.

“I was in awe of all of the designs I saw on the catwalk,” says Tegan, “but was left wondering why I hadn’t heard of some of the labels and where their designs were available for purchase. I started to think that a fashion market aimed at supporting these designers, by providing them with a platform to sell their collections and interact with buyers at a more personal level, might be just the answer. That’s when the idea for Hustle&Scout was firmly crystallised!”

The upcoming market on Saturday 27 September marks one year of Hustle&Scout, and its growth has been nothing short of phenomenal. Expanding to collaborate with ‘street style’ food market, The Forage in April, the combined event has exploded out of its original digs at New Acton Nishi, into new ‘old’ headquarters at Hangar #47 Fairbairn, near Canberra Airport.

“This hangar was built in 1940 as part of the Royal Australian Air Force base,” says Tegan.

“The space, which is over 3,000 square metres, still features original roof beaming, windows and bay lighting, but has been restored and maintained since the WWII period when it housed squadrons from the Netherlands East Indies Air Force.”

Hustle&Scout and The Forage will have stalls spread throughout the hangar.  On the ‘fashion’ side, there will be 53 stall holders from Canberra and further afield, with loads of local clothing, jewellery and accessories. Locals include Fashfest designers: Sovata, Corr Blimey, 4 Minutes 33, Karen Lee and Pure Pod, and a diverse range of jewellery designers – such as Alison Jackson, Stuart the Cat, Crankybot Jewellery, Bonty, Jodie Cunningham and Paul Krix. There will also be a crochet up-cycling demonstration stall run by Canberra Creatives, and a stall run by the CIT Bachelor of Design (fashion) students which will feature lots of new designs produced specifically for this market.

As for The Forage, this is only its third ‘bite’ of the cherry and it’s already huge, surpassing founder Belinda Neame’s wildest dreams. The event combines food vendors in one location, giving people the opportunity to taste a range of different food and drink in an atmosphere that is relaxed and fun.

“We knew Canberra was ready for a regular ‘street style’ food event but we never expected it to be this big so soon. This proves that Canberra’s social community is changing and this excites us! It’s so exciting to see our beautiful city, uniting to build a stronger community by working together. This journey has allowed us to work with some amazing and inspiring people and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this city!” she says.

Weather pending, The Forage will concentrate most of its event outdoors on the airside of the building, with a spectacular view of the runway. The September 27 event will see the biggest line up yet, doubling the number of vendors from the first event back in April, and playing host to Canberra MasterChef, Rishi Desai.

If you’re after hot food, you’ll be well looked after – from the Peruvian Street Food stylings of Mr Papa to Dinner Rush’s heat-and-eat gourmet meals; to V Spot Cafe’s vegan goodness and the meaty treats of Pialligo Farm and The Brathaus.

If local sweet delights are more your fancy, there’ll be offerings from B St Bakery (a newbie on the Canberra scene), Lindsay and Edmunds Chocolates, hot donuts and chai from Nookie Espresso Bar, vegan treats from Sweet Bones Bakery and Dutch Divine’s hot Dutch waffle biscuits filled with caramel.

To quench your thirst, choose from The Fix Cold Pressed Juice, a beer or cider from Bentspoke Brewing, homemade lemonade from Trader Nic, wine from Mount Majura Vineyard, Barton Estate and Wily Trout; or a bevvie from Bing Bang’s pop up bar.

And it’s not all fashion, food and drink…interactivity has always been an important part of Hustle&Scout and The Forage. There will be three live music acts, including ACT Best Youth Artist and Best Live Performer (2013 MAMAs) Dylan Hekimian; The Feraude Trio (a brass, keys and electronic combo producing jazz-infused sounds with a hint of soul, funk and disco), and new duo Yum Yum, who recently released their first EP in Sydney and will be performing their soul and hip-hop inspired music to a Canberra audience for the first time.

April’s Caravan will return with her very dapper and divine models, who will be roaming between sets in beautiful vintage outfits. An open photo booth will also be run by local couple, Anthea and Lyndon, who have recently launched their own photography and film business. Visitors will be able to get their photo taken for free against a handmade backdrop. There is also talk of a live photo shoot…watch this space!

And for aviation fans, there’ll be aircraft presence at the event, not to mention more practical attractions, such as 2000 free car spaces, and onsite ATMs.

Despite having created hugely successful events, Tegan and Belinda are not ones to rest on their laurels, saying “there is always room for growth and improvement.”

“I want to keep the event fresh and exciting, so this will mean continuing to collaborate with other local creatives and evolving the brand over time,” says Tegan.

“A Hobart Hustle&Scout is currently on the cards for a pop-up project in 2015 – I’m super excited to see this through.”

In the meantime, Canberrans can continue to enjoy this unique event that brings fashion and food together.

“It’s not just a ‘market’, it’s an experience where there will always be a ‘new’ element to the event to bring our community together,” says Belinda.

“The event gives many opportunities, not only to our vendors to expose their businesses and products; but also for the community to get to know the faces behind what they are buying. It really is a perfect fit – it’s a gathering of friends and family amongst good food and drink, fantastic fashion and retail therapy, exciting local music and entertainment and a vibe that leaves you feeling good!”

the essentials

What: Hustle & Scout and The Forage
When: 2pm to 7pm Saturday 27 September
Where: Hangar #47, 8-10 Point Cook Ave, Fairbairn Precinct
Cost: Free entry
Web: hustleandscout.com.au and theforage.com.au