Australia Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014

Finale at Toni Maticevski: Australia Fashion Week 2014

I am going to fess up now. I know very, very little about Australian Fashion. In fact, when I was Down Under I’m pretty sure I lived in a uniform of We are Handsome cossies and micro-denim shorts, paying little attention to what else was available for those more fashion forward than I. But of course Ozzies are fashionable, you just need to check out Gary Pepper Girl’s blog, or the chicks from They All Hate Us to know that there are some very well dressed girls roaming in Oz.

Part of my role as a fashion blogger, (yes life is hard) is to keep up to date with international Fashion Weeks, which is why I’ve spent the last few days with a cup of coffee in hand gorging on what’s been going down, Down Under.

Australia have put on quite the performance for their Spring/Summer Fashion Week – a parade of neoprene, dewey gelato colours, sleek monochromes, never-ending knots and masculine shapes have taken to the catwalk, and here are my top pick of designers from this week.

DION LEE IIWhy I like it? Traditional tailoring with a twist, Dion Lee is one of Australia’s most prized design exports. Diffusion line Dion Lee II applied all the exciting shapes and folds of mainline, but with denim, sporty silhouettes and haphazardly tied shirting.

ALICE MCCALLWhy I like it? You may recall Kate Moss sporting some of the ex-stylists creations back in the day. Lots of glitter and a bit of grunge, the collection celebrated the skort, pushed the print, featured delicate cut outs, and had a generally ethereal feel to it that would work well on European turf.

TONI MATICEVSKI Why I like it? More knots! Yes the haphazard tying of a shirt is clearly en vogue.  Here in Sweden, BACK and GANT Rugger Women are pushing it for AW14, so I’m loving the take on the trend Down Under. Crystal embellished mesh, draped shapes to offset sharp tailoring, neoprene feel fabrics and pops of colour and pleating make for a directional collection by Toni Maticevski. Selecting two images to feature was damn near impossible.

MICHAEL LO SORDOWhy I like it? This years winner of the BT Emerging Fashion Designer Award is a name to watch. A razor take sharp on romantic minimalism, this dreamy collection of whites, blacks and sorbet coloured pinks, lemons and blues was realised in tailored blazers, silky macs, loose trousers and cut out gowns. Shirting was haphazardly knotted and jackets were thrown over one shoulder.

KARLA SPETICWhy I like it? Pool side glamour is taken to new heights, with an impressive collection of monochrome tailoring and cut-out mesh dresses. Sheer panelling, pearly oyster hues, high slits and digitally cut plates are teamed with Reeboks for a distinctly androgynous feel.

ELLERYWhy I like it? Ellery’s collection oozes an almost Parisian sophistication. Mostly monochrome, loose and languid shapes, fluid pleats, signature bell sleeves and barely there silks made this a grown-up and glamorous collection to watch.

HARYONO SETIADI Why I like it?  Sort of what I expect to see come out of Australia, the colour palette centred around the ocean, with blue waves melting into surf coloured whites. Orange was employed to mimic the sun setting over the sea. Silk separates and buoyant silhouettes give dresses an easy-breezy weightlessness. 

I wasn’t there, so images are courtesy of Australian Vogue.