Readers have flagged up that I might be loving a few things at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney and they would be damn right. Except I lack the experience and expertise to be yakking about Australian fashion when people like Kat are so skilled and adept at that sort of um…yakkage. My mild touchings on Antipodium fashion have come about because I've had physical contact with the clothes. Sadly with a lot of the names mentioned below, there just aren't that many opportunities to experience them in the UK. Limited stockists, little European editorial mentions and only a few have UK PR reps here. I know for a fact I'm missing out on a whole host of goodnes, which is why a Melbourne-bound trip is imminently being planned. That's if I get out of my habit of frittering away my money in two weeks, rendering the rest of the month to live on beans on toast.
With this particular RAFW, they made a good call inviting the creme de la creme of bloggers; the likes of Scott and Garance and more importantly for selfish bloggers like me, Sonny Vandevelde whose backstage images are far more invigorating to the brain than stale catwalk images. So I make an exception to catwalk roundups with this post.
Thus RAFW goes ROAAARRRRR and RAAAAWWWWW for me and I've only picked out the things that made the brain go ding-a-ling-a-ling at an instant, but there's whole untouchable feast down in the Southern Hemisphere waiting to be explored when I um…stop my beans on toast routine.
Further investigation will be undertaken…especially when lovelies like Ellery, TV and Friedrich Gray are concerned…
If you do make it to Australia, you really must visit Sydney too. Lots of great local designers, some of which you mentioned above.
-Kaylene
Absolutely love your post!
I was amazed this year, a lot of talent from fellow Australian designers. I agree with the list above including my current post on Ginger and Smart, deserving shout out to Willow as well.
the girls from LesMads.de have been invited to the fashion week this year and brought us some really nice pics as well. in german only, but the english website has some short cuts!
my favourite: ellery!
Yay for the Aussies! Please come visit meeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Also, heads up about Ellery, as much as I adore the label it was barely finished when she showed, and there was some really poor tailoring happening there…
xx
I think with Ellery it may have been a case of spreading herself too thin. She was styling for Bec & Bridge, and I dare say she had many other things going on. But still, no excuse for poor tailoring!
Also, have a closer look at Dion Lee, he’s the hottest shit here at the moment, everyone is talking about it. I missed the show and haven’t quite delved as deeply as I’d like yet, but it’s on the agenda!
xx
That is a shame about Ellery….I still love her stuff though….
Dion Lee is definitely a standout too….! Will investigate further…
i like!
love your post <3
love your post <3
you missed out my favourite show of the week: Romance Was Born…
I’m so glad you met Kat and started to think about coming to Melb. Whenever I see Kat I always ask about you…and then I met Phil Oh the other day (as I take Melbourne photos for him) and I barraged him with Susie questions. BTW I’m not a crazy stalker, just a major fan.
i really love the australian backstage 🙂
different than the other another vision of fashion that i like :))
boubou
I know practically nothing about Australian fashion week so thanks for the post. Dion Lee looks interesting.
I love Australian people in general, and these fashions show a real love of life and adventure. Just great!
Zimmerman? I picked up a Proenza Schouler for Target-like tanktop from the thriftstore and the label had this brand name I didn’t recognize. Who knew it came all the way from Australia? Or maybe they stock in Vancouver… Hmm…
Thanks for the heads up! I never would have known.
I’m sure I have even less language for dealing with all this than you do (you may not be the resident Aussie expert, but you’re an expert nonetheless), but there really does seem to be something extremely distinct but largely unnameable about Australian fashion. There’s definitely an identifiable throughline — like recognizing a band’s signature “sound” — but I can’t for the life of me begin to describe it.
I wanted to be there for the fashion week so badly!!!
http://thefashionsetter.blogspot.com
wow it looks amazing, i love all of it. i want that bathing suit
Fashion Hayley – That’s settled then, we must meet soon enough!
Tanya: RWB deserves a post of its OWN…when I get hold of lookbook images…
this is awesomeness 🙂
it’s such a massive injustice when the entire world focuses solely on paris, new york and milan when it comes to designs and inspiration.
There are some absolutely horrific looking models there, designers should be embarrassed to showcase their work on the shoulders of what I can only describe as medically ill girls, physically and perhaps mentally. It takes the shine off some truly exceptional design talent down under at present!
This dress reminded me of you. You should get it!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24567493
ooh aus week looks fun!!
xx-LJ from SOS!
LOVE the first dress… Fierce! I really enjoyed the coverage of RAFW… The makeup was kwl too. Wonder if they use the *standard* big names or if they have home grown people we have no idea about… Pretty eye colour combination in the second pic…
Xxxc
Love your collage of RAFW. You are definitely one up in the knowledge department in this area, as I barely had heard of one of those designers. But I’m writing down my list and conducting a full investigation! Interesting to see it all go down via Twitter, too. I guess I follow a lot of savvy Aussies 🙂
Hey Susie
should have told me you were going to do a post , I would have given you a heads up , and some extra shots, plus, as Tanya pointed out, you did not get Romance Was Born, Anna + Luke join Dion Lee as the 2 shining stars from fashion week. But I been so busy , that keeping the blog updated has been affected, and about to post some Romance was Born pics, maybe you should just do a seperate post on them. Does Arnotts biscuits make Iced Vovo’s in England ?
best
Sonny
I love the Aussies too, although I hate to lump them together. There’s just SOMETHING! Kirilly Johnston, for example.
Imelda Matt led me to Ellery, and I am a fan, poor tailoring or not!
you’ll love melbourne!! and if you come in our winter, we all look so much better, layers and all!
Susie you should definately make your way down for the next RAFW. Australia has such promising talent and the people in general have excellent style as seen on Sartorialist, Garance Dore and Style Sightings, Street Peeper..
Oh and we cannot forget that there is so much good shopping amongst both Sydney and Melbourne – beyond just Australian designers!
Worth a visit, and there is no biased there at all! 😀
sally.
It’s all about Dion Lee. His tailoring is perfection. I’ve been told he makes all his own patterns…unlike others *cough cough*. He is a true talent, I just hope he stays in Australia!
YESSS!!! that would be wickedly mad, im a melbourne chick myself!there’s a lot of variety here…and of course you can finally compare sportsgirl to topshop *shock horror* nothing compares to the overseas fashion-seriously.
I love Sonnys photos – so much more fun to look at than the dull catwalk photos, and 100% more detailed. That Therese model does look exceptionally thin though.
DION LEE!!! HE owns fashion week!!!!
The only interesting and entertaining thing i saw all week.
That collection could have been shown anywhere. Paris, New York or London. It wouldn’t matter it was that good!!!
I want every piece he made!!I should start saving!
I was half expecting that Tourism Australian would have flown you out or that DD would have sent you. There’s always next year. I’ll echo the Dion Lee call, he’s blistering hot right now.
Dion Lee’s show was mind blowing…the whole concept. Fashion week has been so dull and serious. This put some fun back into it. Dion Lee’s designs are true art, they’re what fashion should be about.