The lead of the Tony Rich Project, Rich is best known for his hit single “Nobody Knows”, and though born in Detroit, he now calls Canberra home. The singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and record producer won his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album with his debut album “Words”.  Rich has shared the stage with Prince, Sting, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel and Sheryl Crow, but he is also a practising photographer, fine painter and poet.

He’s not the only musician adorning the catwalk. In fact more than 20 musical acts, including hip hop, pop, samba and R&B, are playing at Fashfest this year.

Ashley Feraude, Fashfest music director, has noticed that many fashion shows rely on piped-in music but Fashfest has never done so. “Live music and fashion go hand-in-hand, expressing and magnifying,” he says.

This year, Feraude tells us, the event is rolling out many firsts on the music front. Raio de Sol  will perform for the first time as a percussion ensemble on closing night. Also making a debut appearance is Canberra’s four-piece live soul, R&B and urban groove band, Soulitude, as well as Happy Axe (Emma Kelly) making a debut appearance, playing violin alongside DJ Hamish Lardi.

FASHFEST, National Convention Centre , September 28-30, program details and bookings to fashfest.com.au