In the middle of Verner’s resort show, it hit me that the clothes were exactly what people think of when they think of Australian Fashion Week—resort! beaches! surfers!—except done to the nth cool degree. It was by design. “Above all [resort] was about extending certain techniques like the roping and the tying and using Australia’s … Read more
Elaine George, the first-ever First Nations model to appear on the cover of Vogue Australia, opened the Iordanos Spyridon Gogos resort show, walking dramatically down the runway in a sleeveless dress pieced together from rectangular pieces of fabric in various shades of goldenrod, some of them heavily embellished. The reaction from the crowd was audibly … Read more
Three moons, softly glowing like they do on a clear night, greeted guests as they walked into Romance Was Born’s resort 2025 show. Designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales have often explored fantasy lands and utopias, and did so again this season, inspired by the work of the Indigenous Australian artist Zaachariaha Fielding. “He is … Read more
They say inspiration can strike anywhere at any time. For Anna Quan’s resort collection, lightning hit in the unlikeliest of places: a food court. “I was sitting [there] and I saw this skylight water feature that made me feel very calm,” she recalled, laughing backstage after the show. “It was just water bending light and … Read more
Walking into the Alix Higgins show at Carriageworks, the venue hosting most of the shows during Australian Fashion week, the energy felt different than prior days: electric and youthful. A draped red velvet cape-gown printed with splotches of color and the word PRETENSION opened the show, followed by a model in a sheer sleeveless shell … Read more
As usual, lace was king on the Karla Spetic runway. The opening look, a quasi-ballgown with a black lace long sleeve bodice, and a skirt with a bit of volume at the hips, was followed by a model in black lace pants with a black oversized jacket with functional lace-up (get it?) details on the … Read more
One of the season’s most awaited shows took place on the first night of Australian Fashion Week, with the return of the beloved Carla Zampatti label to the runway, after the untimely passing of its founding designer. An excitable crowd showed up wearing the brand’s opulent evening gowns to cheer on Karlie Unger, the new … Read more
The opening look of Beare Park’s resort collection was a minimal long dress with darts on the princess seams, made from a shiny khaki silk dupioni. As the model reached the end of the runway and turned to the side, two slits on either side of the dress, running all the way up to the … Read more
It’s hard to believe that Rory William Docherty’s resort collection was only his second-ever runway show. The New Zealand designer founded his namesake label in 2017 as “a much more extravagant fashion hobby,” he explained backstage. “I wanted to just put beautiful things into the world, and it took me two-and-a-half years to make my … Read more
