MBFWA 2013: Shows and Showmanship

Despite all the air-kissing and too-eager stamps of approval, the fashion media is starting to tell us what it really thinks. Australian Fashion Week founder Simon Lock penned a refreshingly frank opinion piece for The Australian this week; an analysis on the relative successes and failures of this year’s five day affair.

In particular, Lock’s succinct and forward comments about show production and venue choice jumped out at me. Not only did they ring true and loud for the week that was, but the rumblings of similar sentiment from media leaders was enough to convince me that the issue was about more than glitter and smoke machines.

Hello ELLE Australia / photo: Zimbio

Daytime shows on location should be given only to designers who have the capability and talent to add something really special to the event. Camilla Franks, who produced a most amazing show experience, complete with a teepee and llamas camped in Centennial Park, is a shining example of a designer who should be given a location show during the day. There is no point travelling from Carriageworks during the day to go to a similar warehouse venue.

Carriageworks is a great venue, and its industrial inclination allowed both the necessary space (including a lobby, two separate runways and a presentation ‘box’) and the creative ‘blank canvas’ to cover almost any type of show. Industrial, concreted warehouses seem to be the fashion venue du jour, and for two very good reasons: the starkness will either be the perfect foil to a collection, or it will be the ultimate empty space for creative reinvention.

Carriageworks / photo: Concrete Playground

Lock’s frustration was shared by Glynis Traill-Nash (who has since been appointed fashion editor of The Australian.) She summed the issue up twitter-perfect on Day Two, asking “The questions is, why do offsite shows in industrial venues, when Carriageworks is an industrial venue?”

Twitter: @GlynisTN

That came after Christopher Esber at an offsite warehouse, although it did feature a bright blue and orange matrix of scaffolding. Similarly, the Ellery runway was set up inside an abandoned building in the Sydney CBD. Of course, you cannot take any credit from Kym Ellery's collection, or any power bestowed by big-time model trio Julia Nobis, Ruby-Jean Wilson and Hanne Gaby Odiele. But the question for both shows, and a handful of others, still remains: why go to an offsite venue that is much the same as the one you left? 

Christopher Esber / photo: The Vine

Consider that other designers took the official space and tricked it up a helluva lot more. We saw the extreme in the unstoppable Romance Was Born, who created a magical, perverse wonderland that had every second fashion journo dropping the words ‘mushroom trip’ like they knew how that felt.  Then there were more moderate, but still heavily decorated, shows like Hello ELLE Australia; with its gold glitter catwalk, champagne waiters and giant E-L-L-E balloons. And finally, the shows that incorporated only the subtlest of touches – think Ginger & Smart’s runway featuring only graphic black lines, creating the same geometric print as their garments.

Romance Was Born / photo: Ausmode blog

There was an entire spectrum of production, which acts as proof that the venue has the versatility to cover just about every level of embellishment. 

Of course, that is not to say that none of the shows should be held offsite. There were certainly venues that brought something extra to the table. Lock is 115% right in crowning Camilla Franks the Queen of the Offsite Show. It was an all-encompassing experience, with laughing hippie children playing on wooden swings, llamas wearing Camilla-typical prints, and the ‘runway’ itself housed inside the most glamorous teepee ever.

Georgia May Jagger and Camilla Franks / photo: News.com

And Lisa Ho, whose collection was my favourite of the week, showed in the cavernous foyer of the Art Gallery of NSW. Although the aesthetic opposite of Camilla, it was impossible to deny the grandeur of the marble venue as the morning light streamed in through giant windows.

Lisa Ho / photo: 10 Magazine

At the end of the day, it needs to be about necessity. What is it about a collection that means it needs to be shown somewhere offsite, and what will that venue add? Where is the extra showmanship?

Lock calls for a collaborative effort; that we need to work together to achieve the best possible program. And that means being realistic. If it is just about four more concrete walls, the taxi fares might not be worth it. 

By The Industry Baby with No comments

MBFWA: Aurelio Costarella

The Australian fashion industry can tend to be East Coast-centric. Proximity, population density and commerce have created well-connected creative hubs in NSW, VIC and QLD, while extensions out to any state ‘Western,’ ‘Southern,’ or ‘Northern’ are often a little forced. It’s easy to see how the tyranny of distance can force West Australian fashion creatives to switch seaboards.

And that’s what made the second show of MBFWA so special; the celebration of 30 successful years in the biz for an Australian and proudly West Australian great, Aurelio Costarella.

‘Show’ is not an apt term for Costarella’s fashion week listing. There was no runway, no pumping catwalk music. Retrospect was less like a show and more like an exhibition of Costarella glory, curated by the man himself.

Costarella's gallery

At the core of the experience, of course, were the clothes. Couture and RTW for summer 13/14 presented in a gallery like installation of live models. Each girl was regal, mostly still, and vaguely melancholic while showing off the full impact of voluminous skirting in flossy tulle. Or the textural effect of meticulously piled on matte bronze sequins. Or the long, elegant lines of perfectly draped and placed Costarella silk.

The fact that all of this luxury was dreamt up and pieced together at a studio in North Perth made me smile a little wider. It has always been that way, no matter the ever-increasing heights of national and international success that the brand achieves.

In fact, the presentation was not just an ode to Costarella’s 30 years in the fashion industry, but also to the oft-sidelined talents of WA.

Art by Waldemar Kolbusz

First, the obvious: those looming and deeply evocative artworks that sat pride of place in the center of the room, backdrop to the models’ poses.  The moody, melancholy colour schemes were brought to canvas by Perth-born artist Waldemar Kolbusz. Kolbusz collaborated with Costarella on the pieces, resulting in four emotive palettes that perfectly complemented the garments (strategically) positioned in front.

Costarella accessorised with intriguing, detailed headpieces by Reny Kestel, one of Australia’s most sought-after milliners and a fellow hometown girl. Don’t be surprised if Kestel’s intricate, cage-like masks and iterations thereof show up in the 2013 racing seasons – they are edgy little showstoppers.

Headpieces by Reny Kestel / Hair by Lee Preston

 The classic, swept back up-dos were the work of Lee Preston, who is by now a veritable hair institution in Perth. Whether or not you are keeping a tally, the show was already more-or-less a Best of the West, and then…

There was Grace. Woodroofe, if you don’t know. And that’s just the thing; you probably didn’t. Because even in her West Coast hometown, she is still playing gigs with a $5 entry fee. A smooth, silky croonette (who also happens to be gloriously statuesque and beautiful like a woodland fairy,) Woodroofe was an inspired selection by Costarella. She set the atmosphere for the room, hushed and reverent. Woodroofe is beyond talented, but nationally she was little-known.

Instead of recruiting a bigger name, perhaps a Voice Australia finalist, Costarella plucked a Perth girl and put her on a more national, even international stage. Because it wasn’t just a ‘show’, it was a polished presentation of WA's best to fashion week tastemakers.

And that, on top of 30 glorious years doing fashion, is something Aurelio Costarella deserves resounding applause for. 

By The Industry Baby with No comments

MBFWA: Day Three

It speaks volumes of the Australian fashion industry that each day of MBFWA is better than the last. And the increasing attention from international correspondents is proof that the world is taking notice, too.

Based on the photos, stories and roaring praise flooding in from the shows on Day Three, you have to wonder how they can keep upping the ante.

TOP RUNWAY LOOKS

Once again, there was no way it could be narrowed down to just one. It would have been oh so easy to pick at least four entire shows. Although, after much agonising…

Lisa ‘Ho my God!’ Have you ever seen Australiana look so good? Lisa Ho always creates beautiful garments that are the epitome of luxurious, feminine beauty. But this is bold and unusual. It’s not often that the unlikely concepts of “bush flora” and “glamour” are so happily married. Yet, here it is.



Australian dream / photo: vogue.com.au



The dress looks as if it has been poured on to the model, thanks to those long, slinky nude panels. They create a lithe, flowing hourglass shape which hits the womanly element that Lisa Ho is so good at. Such a fluid cut is akin to the elegant gowns Elie Saab is famous for, but with a unique print grounding the dress as distinctly Aussie.

And then there was Ellery. In what was being heralded early as the best show of the week, Kym Ellery brought tough-girl cool by the metric shitload*.

*Yes, this is a scientific unit of measurement.



tough-girl cool / photo: vogue.com.au



I love this because a) Kym is a fellow West Aussie girl done good, and b) she has achieved draping that is not being tagged as sensual, opulent or soft.

No. While definitely masterful, these tinfoil silver swathes are far from soft. A tough, streetwise edge is a better way to describe it.

Whether this is something that the average woman could wear (read: probably not) is irrelevant.  It is a pure statement, an unapologetic demonstration of skill, and a damn good way to close a collection.

TOP STREET STYLE LOOK

Of course, it’s Yasmin Sewell, the Aussie expat of infinite style.

wrap it up / photo: harpersbazaar.com.au

The headscarf is where it is at. It is so, unbelievably cool, especially with hair as chic as hers. Colour me envious.

And if you didn’t think a plain, white tee could be very 'fashion' (as Rachel Zoe would say) – think again. Regimentally starch and structured as opposed to the comfy, slouch tee you would wear on a casual occasion. After all, she is dressed for the Ellery show, and MBFWA’s best show calls for a ‘very fashion’ tee.

By The Industry Baby with 2 comments

MBFWA: Day Two

Personally, I found Day Two of MBFWA much more inspiring than Day One. Perennial Australian favourite Zimmermann delivered yet another collection of perfection. Is there a girl out there who doesn’t love Zimmermann’s eternal-summer pieces? If there is, I haven’t met her.

However, the top runway looks* of the day came from elsewhere.

*Multiple because I was torn between them, so decided to just roll with it.

TOP RUNWAY LOOK(S)

At Bowie, the devil was in the detail. Or, perhaps more appropriately, an angel.



Celestial butterflies / photo: vogue.com.au

Just look at those fragile, wispy butterflies emerging delicately from their transparent cocoon. They seem almost alive, drying freshly wet wings and ready to soar into sartorial freedom. The regal, soft shell of white butterflies creates suspense, but not drama. It is as if, in only a moment, they could take off and all be gone.

Exquisite detail / photo: vogue.com.au

The texture in this gown is surreal. That lush, full coverage of delicate petals lend a Mother Nature softness to the sharp, precise shoulders and cut. And yet, as a solid block of white it provides an emphatic statement against the flimsy translucency of the neck, shoulders and chest. Bowie is taking us away on a dream with this Garden of Eden detail; one which I don’t want to wake up from.

wear me! / photo: vogue.com.au

 Michael Lo Sordo offered an ensemble with more spunk. If it wasn’t already blindingly obvious, an assorted paintbox of prints is going to be fundamental to Spring/Summer 2012/2013. Unless you are an Alt (Emmanuelle, that is), there is no escaping it.

This is one of the cleaner, clearer prints used by any designer – most others tend towards the busier, blended styles favoured by Zimmermann and last season Camilla and Marc.

But the clincher for this outfit is that sporty red bralet worn unabashedly under the open blazer. It is the sexy quirk that turns an otherwise demure silhouette on its head. It's true, this is not a new concept. But the prints and colour let you see the idea with new eyes and a fresh angle.

TOP STREET STYLE LOOK

Soon-to-be reality TV star Lara Bingle got ragged for this outfit on the Madison Australia website. Ouch.

At the Toni Maticevski show / photo: madisonmag.com.au

A simple boat stripe has never failed in my books, and it does not fail Lara either. It is simple and effortless in that very French way; while that sounds completely unoriginal, it really is true.

Ms. Bingle is a case in point. She has fashion ease about her in this jumpsuit, like she barely had to try to look so chic.

But my favourite element? The way her red lipstick picks up the little brooch at her chest and those Louboutin soles at her feet. Such panache.

By The Industry Baby with 2 comments

MBFWA: Day One

If the fantastical and sometimes unwearable creations of MBFWA opener Romance Was Born are not for you – rest assured, you are not alone. Their boldness is always inspiring, but an RWB piece will only hang in a particular kind of wardrobe. As Tim Blanks so succinctly wrote for Vogue Australia, “discipline a superpower, and you'll usually get more from less."

TOP RUNWAY LOOK

So white / photo: vogue.com.au

It was the dual subtlety and power of this Ginger & Smart ensemble that made me look twice.

All the attitude of a technicolour superhero effortlessly rendered in lush, monochromatic tailoring.

From its sixties origins, the shift dress has never had a bigger moment than right now. And the brocade pattern seems instantly fresh in white on white.



photo: vogue.com.au


But the blazer is the truly swoon-worthy piece here. As we have come to expect from Ginger & Smart, the fabric falls just so. Also, please note: refusing to put your arms through the sleeves is the way to wear a jacket. Don’t let boyfriends or mothers tell you otherwise. #chictothemax. (Get the reference?)



watch me walk away / photo: vogue.com.au


As for the phat blue hoops and stack of bangles – you can take it or leave it. As long as I can have the shoes (an ankle and toe strap is all I need); a lesson in modern simplicity.


TOP STREET STYLE LOOK

Zanita Morgan of fellt.com/zanita

Firstly, Zanita is clearly stunning. Blessed genetics aside, this outfit is not only simple and stylish, but also honest.

Zanita Morgan / photo: Candice Lake from candicelake.com

Leather panels make that jacket deliciously luxe, but what I love most is that she is wearing Kmart boyfriend jeans. Yes, that’s honest.

If it looks great (which it does), then off to fashion week you strut.

By The Industry Baby with 4 comments

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia 2012: Intentions

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia kicked off to a stylish start in Sydney on Monday, and I’ve been left positively green-eyed by the photos flooding through on instagram.  True, the lead-up to the event was not without some drama – major names such as Dion Lee, Josh Goot and the ever-vocal Alex Perry pulling out of MBFWA, citing a misalignment with the international fashion schedule. But the production values of the fashion week shows seem to sharpen each year, which is exciting to watch (even from afar!)



Pre-show caffeine fix / photo: fashionweekuncut.com



For the rest of this fabulous week, I will be keeping it simple. My one favourite runway look, and my one favourite ‘street-style’ look. Although, let’s be honest. If it were me, my outfit would be less “spontaneous-street-style” and more “highly-styled-and-agonised-over.”

In fact, the very witty Vogue Australia editor Kirstie Clements took a tongue-in-cheek stab at street style while writing about MBFWA here:

"There are a few tricks for the uninitiated visitor should one feel the burning desire to be snapped and posted on websites.

Wearing bright, clashing colours head-to-toe will generally work. Add a huge must-have “It'' shoe that is extremely difficult to navigate. (In years past it used to be an “It'' bag, but that disappeared. Too easy for the masses I guess.) Incorporate garments from Alexander Wang or Givenchy. Or sport a weird headpiece. That might do it.

In fact, wear anything you like. The shows have become a fashion safari – if it moves, someone will photograph it.

Make sure you're always on the mobile though, so it looks like you have a proper job."

It almost sounds like a journos vs. bloggers jibe. Clements has, in my opinion, been downright fearless in commenting on some sticky issues recently. And I admire it.

By The Industry Baby with No comments