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Bella’s Story: Frocking Up in Memory of Mum
For Melbourne-based creative Bella Polazzon, Frocktober is more than a fundraising campaign, it’s a way to honour her mum, Linda, and to help create a future where ovarian cancer no longer takes lives too soon.
This year, Bella fronts Frocktober 2025 as an official campaign ambassador. Her personal story represents the many family members impacted by ovarian cancer – those that have lost their mothers, sisters, wives or daughters to this disease.
How Bella first frocked up
Bella first frocked up alongside her mum, Linda, who was living with ovarian cancer at the time. What began as a fun way to raise awareness and funds soon became deeply personal. “My very first Frocktober was also the last event I spent with Mum,” Bella reflects. “That made it incredibly special.”
When Bella lost her mum in 2022, her involvement with Frocktober became a tribute to her memory. This year, she fronts the campaign wearing outfits styled with her mum’s cherished collection of scarves, each one a symbol of love, resilience, and the ongoing fight against ovarian cancer. “She was a scarf lover, she had so many,” Bella says. “Wearing one of her scarves every day is a way of keeping her close while sparking conversations about why I’m doing this.”
Turning grief into action for ovarian cancer research
For Bella, Frocktober isn’t about sadness, but about empowerment. “It doesn’t feel heavy, it’s colourful, uplifting, and fun,” she explains. “That’s what makes it such a unique campaign. People shouldn’t feel like they should get involved, but that they want to, because it’s positive and exciting, with such a meaningful cause at its heart.”
Bella also believes in showing how versatile Frocktober can be. “There are so many ways to frock up, it doesn’t just mean wearing a dress,” she says. “You can host a lunch or dinner with friends, run a raffle, or make a small style choice, like a bold scarf or necklace, that gets people asking questions. Frocking up is about making a statement and starting a conversation, and everyone can do that in their own way.”
Inspiring others to frock up
But behind the colour and fun, Bella knows how urgent the need for research is. Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal reproductive cancer, with a five-year survival rate still at just 49%, a figure that has barely shifted in decades. “That’s devastating for families like mine,” she says. “Research has historically been overlooked and underfunded, but it’s the only way to change outcomes, through earlier diagnosis, better treatments, and more time for families together.”
This October, Bella will frock up in memory of her mum, while looking ahead to a brighter future. “Mum nearly beat the five-year survival statistic, but in the end, we lost her. I don’t want other families to go through what mine did,” she says.
Her message is clear: everyone has a reason to join. “There are so many ways to frock up this October. Join me, and together, let’s frock ovarian cancer.”