Antipodean Journey

The really, truly satisfying thing about going to Paris isn't actually the number of shows on the schedule you get to see but it's the fact that it's one of the few times in the year when A LOT of the people I write about on the blog, end up convening in Paris either doing a showroom for their sales and press appointments or exhibiting at one of the tradeshows like Tranoi and Rendezvous.  That way I get to put a face to the designers' names and they…er… get to see my slobbering look as I drool over their latest collections and they then politely shove me a business card to gesture for me to STOP salivating over their wares.  That's fine, I can take a hint and go stuff my face with macaroons and steak tartare instead.

On the very last day of Paris, I got to fit in an appointment with Dion Lee, who in only a few seasons at Rosemount Fashion Week in Australia has managed to get the hype machine working and is already in a position to come to Europe to show to press and buyers here.  One of the few reasons why it makes it difficult for me to write about Antipodean designers (again, thanks Kat!), despite the extraordinary number of ones that I fall in love with on a daily basis is their unavailability in stockists outside of Australia/New Zealand.  Here's hoping Dion does make it to a Browns or a Liberty, as amongst his Australian peers, his sense of tailoring, play with structure and tension does make his work stand out.

Another reason for making the more than 12 hour journey over to this side of the hemisphere apart from seeking sales/press is that people like me get to see what is his A/W 10 collection (S/S 10 in the Northern hemisphere…) that doesn't get shown in Australia because there's only one fashion week in the year.  Cue a collection that once again lets structure and finesse in cutting take precedence but there's added rigour and structure instilled through the placing of metal brace-like strips around the shoulders…

…and around the bust… kine of like a deconstructed breastplate…

And yay… Dion has added a pair of perfectly formed high-waisted tap shorts that again threatens to unleash my thighs next summer…

What strikes me about Dion's work though is that whilst he's intricate in the construction of his pieces, he never allows something to become difficult to wear…

…so if metal strips strapping the boobs isn't your cup of tea, the strips are replaced with fabric here to echo the same structure but with a greater ease of wear…

Dion Lee always produces a three-look lookbook that lets you see the front, back and side view of his work which is incredibly important when it comes to his collections but I also love these lookbook images he's made that emphasises the strong sculptural lines as well as an ethereal grace of the clothes. 

I'm unlikely to make it down to Oz to see Dion's next season show but we'll always have Paris…