All Eyes on the Aussies: Style Cues from Australian Fashion Week

By Felicity Loughrey
May 9, 2011

Romance was Born; Rawsthorne; Zimermann

Romance was Born, Therese Rawsthorne, Zimmermann

All fashion eyes turned to Sydney last week for Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, Australia’s premier fashion event. Organized by IMG, which also puts on New York Fashion Week, RAFW showcased fashion trends for southern hemisphere Spring-Summer 2012, hitting stores in August. Presentations took place on-site at the Overseas Passenger Terminal on Sydney Harbor (think of it as the Aussies' version of Lincoln Center) as well as off-site all around the city, from brother-sister fashion design duo Camilla and Marc's show at the State Theatre to Ellery's at an inner-city art gallery and Zimmermann's at a North Sydney car dealership (surprisingly airy with natural light).

Like reading the Dow Jones, current fashion trends can hint at the economy. In a recession, fashion designers send black down the runway. In Sydney, in the midst of Australia’s historic resources boom, the palette is blindingly bright and sunny with optimism. It was near impossible to find somber tones. Croatian-born Sydney gal Karla Spetic sent bold fleur-de-lys prints on the fashion runway; Gary Bigeni played with bright clashing colors; and Therese Rawsthorne punched up a "Twin Peaks" theme with bright orange and orchids (remember Harold Smith’s glasshouse?).

Here are some of our favorite fashion trends and designer inspirations from RAFW.

Fantasia at Romance was Born

Fantasia at Romance was Born

Romance was Born

Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett, the duo behind Australia’s avant-garde darling Romance Was Born, took their cues from digital prints of jewels, a graphic collaboration with Australian artist Nell and Wolfgang Petersen’s The Neverending Story. Real world RAFW fans of the label include Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett, who sat front row at the show in Sydney’s historic Mitchell Library.

Copacabana at Mrs. Press

Copacabana at Mrs. Press

Mrs. Press

Former Vogue Australia features director, now fashion designer and blogger Clare Press held an exotic RAFW runway show in the Garden Court of the Sofitel Wentworth for her label Mrs. Press. For her summer fashion collection she was inspired by the cruise silhouette of the late 1930s and early 1940s. “This was back when traveling abroad was still a thrill, and glamorous travel meant romance in Rio, Mexico or Argentina—all on board the steamer," she said.

Endless Summer at Zimmermann

Endless Summer at Zimmerman

Zimmermann

Zimmermann is famous for its swimwear (stocked Stateside at Neiman Marcus, Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue) but the brand the Zimmermann sisters also make a ready-to-wear collection. This year, they created a range based on “the memory of an idyllic summer day.” With white cotton lace, Edwardian paneling and a soft watercolor palette, style blogger Romy Frydman of Style Me Romy noted, “Zimmermann was the quintessential resort wear, which is at the heart of Australian culture. It was clean, pretty and it had great lace.” In the front row, UK blogger Susie Lau of Style Bubble opined, “I liked it immensely.”

White Out at Dion Lee, Lover, Zimmermann, Kirrily Johnston, Therese Rawsthorne and Arnsdorf

White Out at Dion Lee, Lover, Zimmerman, Kirrily Johnston, Therese Rawsthorne and Arnsdorf

Therese Rawsthorne, Lover (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images), Zimmermann

“I have not seen a collection go down the runway without white in it,” says Frydman, except, she notes Yeojin Bae (which she styled!). Dion Lee went with structured white jackets and futuristic icy tunics. Susien Chong and Nic Briand’s label Lover showed Bianca Jagger-worthy white pantsuits and white lace dresses in an arena deep inside the Sydney Opera House. Kirrily Johnston paraded a Roman floor-length white dress. Jade Sarita Arnott of Arnsdorf played with casual-looking brights and whites in shorts, dresses and high-waist pants.

(all Austrailian Fashion Week rrunway images courtesy of featured designers)

The Inspirations, as per eBay

Roll over items for details

The Neverending Story

(buy it now price, $3.89)

Carmen Miranda Vintage Portrait

(buy it now price, $24.99)

"Puberty Blues" poster

(buy it now price $18.99)

Vogue Australia

(buy it now price, $29.99)

Russh Magazine

(buy it now price, $6.99)

Frankie Magazine

(buy it now price, $33.07)

Vintage White Lace Dress

(buy it now price, $72)

All Eyes on the Aussies: Style Cues from Australian Fashion Week

1. FANTASIA: The Neverending Story: The visual masterpiece that inspired Romance Was Born.

2. COPACABANA: Carmen Miranda Vintage Portrait: “As a child I watched a lot of Carmen Miranda movies and I recently rediscovered them. I’ve been obsessing over Busby Berkeley’s choreography for 'The Lady in the Tutti Fruit Hat," said Clare Press of Mrs. Press.

3. ENDLESS SUMMER: "Puberty Blues" poster: The iconic Australian surfer girl movie.

4. WHITE OUT: Vintage White Lace Dress: If you can’t jet to Sydney, slip into a summer fashion trend with this dress. It's the perfect cover-up for Bondi nights.

MAG WORLD: For more Australian fashion, check out Antipodean titles on eBay online auctions.

5. Vogue Australia: I’m biased because I write for this title. But come on, look at the cover. It’s spectacular.

6. Russh Magazine: Indie fave Russh has great style stories and inspiration pages.

7. Frankie Magazine: If Anthropologie could be a magazine from Queensland it would be Frankie.

(Unless otherwise noted, all runway images provided by featured designers.)

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