Australia Fashion Week spring/summer 2013 round-up

With a host of imaginative renegades, an established old guard and everything else in between, Susie Lau says Australia Fashion Week is certainly a fashion fixture to get excited about.

BY Susie Lau | 15 April 2013

Photo: GETTY

If there was a top of the charts of global fashion weeks with New York, London, Milan and Paris making up the top four, Sydney is fast clambering up to try and claim that fifth spot. You'd think the main show circuit was tiring enough but it seems Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia is now proving to be worth the long trip down under for both international buyers and press; the likes of ShopBop, Matches and Net-a-Porter were all down there placing orders for Australia's fashion finest, whilst style title 10 Magazine's editor-in-chief Sophia Neophitou attended MBFWA to officially launch the new Australian edition.

Australian fashion power label Camilla and Marc kicked off last week's proceedings by showing us why Sydney's sun-drenched lifestyle makes for refined body conscious clothes imprinted with Australian chic. Leopard-print bustiers, cobwebby sheer black lace and drop crotch trousers in the wrong hands could be too much to handle. but this sibling duo showed why they've enjoyed 10 years in business with an assured collection that got a lot of the Aussie bloggers and babes ready to make their summer order.



Designs by Camilla and Marc

IN PICTURES: Highlights from Fashion Week Australia spring/summer 2013

Likewise, another sibling duo, Alexandra and Genevieve Smart aka Ginger & Smart. had also had a decade of experience in creating clothes that fit their ideal confident and sexy woman. It takes one to pull off a geometric and floral hybrid printed jacket, bustier and pencil skirt ensemble, shown in their 'Shapeshifters' collection.

Every city needs its imaginative renegade and Romance was Born, a now beyond-cult label, designed by Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett is exactly that. Their 'Mushroom Magic' collection was a psychedelic trip through seventies prints, Disney references and fanciful silhouettes, shown amidst an extraordinary sugar art installation by Pip & Pop. Acclaimed make-up artist Val Garland flew down exclusively to apply Peggy Moffitt-inspired make-up to the models. Universal love for Romance was Born's theatrics elicited the loudest of cheers in the week.



Backstage at Romance Was Born. Photo: Ollie Black

Then there are the too-cool-for-school designers on the brink of emerging internationally. Kym Ellery does hard-edged sensual clothes that are uncharacteristically heavy for the Australian climate. That's what makes her stand out when she presents rubber lace sweaters, silk satin jackets rebelliously tied around the waist and goat hair dresses. Christopher Esber is also a flighty fledgling, who took us to an impressive warehouse venue to showcase subtle woven textures and soft silhouettes. Most well known of them all, Dion Lee is already the verge of flying the Australian coop, and has already presented a collection in Paris as well as competing in the International Woolmark Prize. He decided to throw a lavish dinner at the Sydney Opera House, where he has staged some of his most memorable shows, as a gesture of gratitude. Lee presented us with a) yummy barramundi and b) a 15-look presentation that read like a greatest-hits. Sculpted metal, structured pleating, sonic wave sequin formations alongside immaculate tailoring showed just why Lee is already making waves beyond his home shores.



Looks by Dion Lee

MBFWA also kicked it old-school and brought back much-loved Brisbane duo Easton Pearson, who showed a stellar collection of everything they do best - scribble florals and Africana-hued geometrics, whimsical embroidery, painted stripes all on A-line, all-age-friendly silhouettes. In short, they've been doing their own version of Marni down under well before Marni even existed. and the show gave them their much-due credit. Another golden oldie is Toni Maticevski, better known for his bridal and red carpet attire. He refreshed his elegant dresses with a series of sculpted neoprene dresses, soundtracked by Yves Saint Laurent's heartbreaking 2002 adieu press conference. They had a whiff of Dior by Raf Simons about them, but you appreciated the ambitious sentiment, in a week of shows which mostly skewed wearable and buyer-friendly.



Toni Maticevski catwalk show

What's Australian Fashion Week without a spot of sun and sand? We Are Handsome's photo printed swimsuits have been enjoying its moment under the spotlight with fans like Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. They didn't disappoint as they showed big cat roars, galloping horses and retro robots on their trademark swimsuits and bikinis. Their vision of carefree Bondi lifestyle was enticing especially when the models emerged on matching printed bikes. The eternally holidaying set can't get enough of Camilla Franks's kaftans and so it was that Camilla threw the biggest budget show of the week, held in a giant tee pee in a park with cute kids, an alpaca and a barn owl greeting guests at the entrance of what seemed like a hippie commune. Georgia May Jagger was at one with Franks' 'Mother Nature' tribal-travelling collection as she closed the show.



Jagger with designer Camila Franks. Photo: Getty

Some of the best shows were not actually on-schedule as established designers like Josh Goot chose to present their collections privately. This finessed print designer went to the jungle for inspired jacquards, engineered leopard and foliage prints on wrap-over skirts and graphic crop tops. Susien Chong and Nic Briand of Aussie fave Lover, also went a bit animal in their, as ever, beautiful collection. They delved into sheer animal print but will also keep their lace-loving fans happy with dresses in teal blue and rose-motif black lace.



Looks by Lover

As for the week's shining newbies? They perhaps represented a new guard that are rebelling against Sydney fashion's reputation for babe-appropriate clothes. Local cult menswear and womenswear label Vanishing Elephant showed for the first time, celebrating five years of creating streetwear-led tailoring and casual clothes for those that don't want to show a lot of flesh. Karla Spetic also refined her girlish and demure aesthetic with a collection inspired by faith - ruffled tops and skirts in jewel tones, slip dresses in embroidered flowers on sheer organza and a literal stained glass window print made the crowd swoon. Finally, Emma Mulholland, a young designer who is getting all the local kids hot and bothered, took to 80s surf 'n' ski motifs for an exuberant collection. Printed backpacks and bomber jackets, Timmy Mallet-esque nostalgic prints and a finale dress with a sequinned orca whales got everyone excited about the potential in Sydney's bright young things.



Designs by Vanishing Elephant

Susie Lau is the editor of StyleBubble