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| MBFWA Street-style |
If there is one thing that we’ve learnt from last weeks Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Australia it is that the Aussies should never be underestimated when it comes to fashion. There isn’t an official chart for which fashion weeks are the most successful or the most popular but it goes without saying that if there were one, we would all know who would take the top spots. ‘The Big Four’ (as they’re known) are comprised of New York, London, Paris and Milan and after such a hectic couple of weeks you wouldn’t blame all editors and fashion industry insiders for potentially not being able to muster up the energy to take the long trip down under.
But it looks like it was worth it after all, proving it to be totally and utterly worth the long haul flight and not just for the fantastic weather. Australia isn’t renowned internationally for it’s fashion exports, more it’s amazing landscape and kangaroos but it’s certainly making its mark on the style world now.
Set against the fantastic backdrop of cool industrial looking Carriageworks in Sydney, this year’s fashion week bought together some of the most influential and up and coming designers in one place over five days. The week kicked off with designers Camilla and Marc who presented a refined and sexy collection with cut out tops and lace long sleeved dresses.
Another sibling duo Ginger and Smart launched a vibrant collection of bustiers and pencil skirts in the season’s most popular silhouettes and all in bold clashing geometric and floral prints.
But it seemed that cult label Romance was Born (apparently Australia’s answer to Meadham Kirchhoff) were the run-away successes of fashion week 2013, with a riotous collection that made references to the seventies through their use of print, bold contemporary silhouettes, fairy tale like make up and coloured fringed wigs. With bright and fun references to pop art and such a frivolous attitude towards colour, Romance was Born seemed to sum up the vibe of the season in a nutshell. Now what more excuse does one need to do their make up like a Liechtenstein alien covered in glitter??
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| Romance Was Born |
The way that Australia’s fashion scene is thought of seems to have been completely turned on it’s head in one fell swoop. Five days and over 50 fantastic shows left the fashion world re-thinking their perceptions of Aussie fashion. No longer will it be synonymous with ‘safe’ style but it now competes with London for the crown of the most cutting edge and innovative designers.
There were a number of trends that emerged from Australian Fashion Week, some amazing, some not quite so amazing and some you just wouldn’t have expected to come out of Australia considering the humidity (I’m talking leather trousers here!)
We take a little look at some of the best from Australian fashion week from some of our favourite street style looks:
Prints
Prints were absolutely huge at Australian Fashion Week and they were pulled off with aplomb, which might be due to the fact that it was actually warm enough to not have to cover up printed masterpieces with overcoats. There was an abundance of geometric, oriental, floral and every other pattern known to humanity worn in every conceivable way possible, showing a fantastic sense of imagination. There were subtle minimalist outfits with splashes of pattern. There were some designers that opted for matching printed tops and bottoms for a chic take on the trend as well as bold print clashes that created the impression of being nonchalantly thrown together but probably took hours!
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Print Mania |
One trend that was spotted in abundance at MBFWA, the trend that took first place in the most worn category was the crop top. Luckily Australia’s natives are a body confident lot and thanks to the sun have tans that last longer than a month. Some wore chic cropped tops showing off a slight sliver of midriff and some chose a more drastic approach with bra tops paired with low-slung trousers bringing a stylish and youthful take on the trend.
Ultimately Australian Fashion Week was an unbridled success. Fashion insiders around the world are starting to sit up and take stock of what the country has to offer, especially considering it’s two decades of unbroken economic growth; which compared with the rest of the world is saying something. High-end luxury brands from Australia are experiencing solid growth that you would usually only expect from big name designers such as Alexander McQueen and Saint Laurent. Australia really turned up the volume and stepped away from their safe easy going roots into slightly riskier territory and it turned out to be a step in the right direction for them, putting Australia up there on the map as one of the big contenders in the fashion world. Watch out everyone!
This blog post was written by Lucinda Bounsall who works at farfetch.com
xx
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