Tagged: MBFWA

  1. MBFW Australia: Oroton Spring/Summer 2013

    The Oroton show was definitely the most sought-after show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia. The show, styled by Taylor Tomasi Hill, was true to the brand. The collection showed a woman going from the office to the beach, while still being chic!

    Written by Georgia Lourandos. Photos by Brigitta Quantock.

  2. MBFW Australia: By Johnny Spring/Summer 2013

    Johnny Schembri’s ready to wear line By Johnny saw a change this season with a previously unseen use of young girly colours and a distinct French influence. Made up almost entirely of slinky peplum dresses, timeless chrome suits and chic lace and stripe prints, each piece spoke of the sophistication that By Johnny is known for without being stuck in the monochrome palette which dominated previous collections, making the whole feeling of the show much more young and wearable.


    Having made his name on Project Runway Australia, this season saw the 5th anniversary of By Johnny showing at Australian Fashion Week, and it was clearly a milestone for the young designer who seems to have finally found confidence in his ability to design beautiful and classic garments, which were shown with minimal styling and accessories.
    Unlike many shows at MBFW this season, By Johnny had a clear theme and message regarding what women should be wearing this season: bold feminine prints, flattering silhouettes designed to elongate the body, and slick styling.


    Let there be no mistaking though, while the show was lovely and pretty, it was still very safe. And this should worry such a young designer who is yet to show that he can be a ground breaking influence on fashion. This was indeed a collection that was wearable, but maybe almost too so, as though it was lacking the whimsy and artistry that fashion week is meant to be all about. And yes the trends were clear, and done in a beautiful way, but they are the same trends seen last season, just in a different colour palette.

    Written by Georgia Lourandos. Photos by Brigitta Quantock.

  3. MBFW Australia: Ginger and Smart Spring/Summer 2013

    Ginger and Smart took the idea of colour blocking to a new – and very literal – level for their Spring/Summer 2012/13 collection. Despite reinterpreting what now seems to be quite a popular concept, it was achieved with a chic, refined air specific to the brand.

    Set in a beautiful venue with high ceilings and a spacious runway, the clothes appeared to take on a regal, demure quality. A feet particularly surprising given the injection of a range of bright neon colours ranging from lime green to fuchsia. The collection’s greatest achievement was not the use of colour itself, but rather it was the vision it proposed of  the summer classics reinvented. A brand designed by women and for women, clothes that were in some respects quite simple were styled in such a way as to create an image of woman who is both powerful and elegant, but who also retains a sense of playfulness and ease about her dress.

    If you would like to interpret this look for yourself, simply invest in some oversized neon accessories that you can incorporate into your existing wardrobe. Or alternatively, you could always dip dye your hair in one block colours featured in the show. Very on trend, it can add just the right amount of rebelliousness to an otherwise classic look.

    Written by Georgia Lourandos. Photos by Brigitta Quantock.

  4. MBFW Australia: Manning Cartell Spring/Summer 2013

    If you don’t own anything in the colour cream for spring/summer, I suggest you buy something. Or at least, the design trio behind Manning Cartell would suggest for you to do so, having shown a collection today that was comprised almost entirely of a mixture of off-white hues.

    Inspired by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, the collection presented an interesting, if not mixed, point of view – sitting somewhere between a young, urban, Miami beach kind of cool and a more sophisticated early 60′s style of elongated silhouettes, with the occasional hint of houndstooth fabric and flowery silver embellishments.

    Though not shockingly original or avant-garde, it nonetheless created the sort of ‘model-envy’ a good show will. The luminescent, grundge-esque makeup and multi-coloured hair details – AND the models’ piercings, which remained in and visible for the show – went a long way to achieving the fashion savvy but carefree and hip tone.

    What was undeniable was the wearability factor of the collection, which featured both separates and dresses that were well-tailored, chic and easy-to-wear, in the best sense of the phrase. That is, of course, if your definition of wearable includes micro-mini short suits and midriff bearing designs. But then again, why shouldn’t that be wearable attire?

    Written by Georgia Lourandos. Photos by Brigitta Quantock.

  5. MBFW Australia: Dylan Cooper Spring/Summer 2013

    It is hard to describe the excitement you experience when seeing your first fashion show, so much more so when it is the designer’s debut collection as well. And it was quite a bold debut at that.

    What struck me immediately upon walking into the small, black room in which the collection was held, was the overwhelming variety of colour and prints.

    I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with the designer himself. After asking what had inspired him, he answered that it was a combination of everything. Having landed an overseas trip to London, Paris and New York as part of his prize for winning Project Runway Australia 2011, the images he collected of his travels were what formed the basis for his prints.

    Capturing both a refined sense of subtlety and a quality of fun, Dylan Cooper was able to realise what he himself heralds as Australia’s greatest contribution to the international fashion community; a freshness and unique point of view, particularly in the way  we wear and mix colour. This uniqueness, he says, is something that comes from Australia’s detachment, in many ways, from what happens in the northern hemisphere and helps to create a more interesting and diverse global fashion story.

    The freshness of the show was unmistakable. As was the vision it projected of a women who is sophisticated, if not a little rebellious as well. Overall, both the designer and the garments created a very charming show and will most definitely make their mark on this Fashion Week and hopefully many to come.

    Written by Georgia Lourandos