Designer Series 1 Runway – Highlights
Having already covered many of the collections showing at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week while I was at RAFW earlier this year – I’ll just be sharing my personal highlights of each MSFW runway.
Arnsdorf
I wasn’t able to get a pass into Arnsdorf for RAFW so this was my first time seeing the collection in person. What a visual feast of unusual textile, print and proportion! The palette of lilac, burnt pink and tan explode in the form of a digital crystalline print, while other pieces with a stiffer composition have been structured in geometric shapes also mimicking that of crystals and minerals. Beautifully cohesive, well-cut and femme without being flitty.
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Dhini
Another runway I missed at RAFW; I had open expectations and found the collection to be charming. Although not my own aesthetic, Dhini’s pieces are highly wearable as well as being thoughtfully constructed with sweet detailing that gives them propulsion. Versatile in design, the collection illustrates a modern femme fatale who could exist in any walk of life.
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Lui Hon
I find Lui Hon’s collections consistently exciting — understated, spoken like a whisper; a little sweet nothing murmured coyly in your ear. Breathless, effortless — who is this woman? A creature who moves without being seen… an angel. A succubus. She’ll steal your soul and have you thanking her for the opportunity. Sheer whites, exotic bronze and the black glittering legs that had me on my knees. J’adore.
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Gary Bigeni
Another beautifully executed range of his signature swathing minimalist silk jersey pieces were on offer for Gary Bigeni’s new collection. Pieces were complimented with lightly tailored jackets and shorts. Although emulated significantly by several other designers who shared this runway – none come close to matching Bigeni’s expert drapery that gently envelopes the female form, asserting it’s sensuality whilst never being gratuitously sexual.
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As for the lowlights — I was seriously disappointed in how many “unfinished” garments were in designer’s collections. There is no excuse for unfinished hems. Even raw hems that are designed to shred or fray should be stitched to avoid curling and unraveling. It looks cheap and lazy. You will never get my money when you can’t run a quick stitch on your hem!
I was also concerned over the general unflattering cuts on a lot of dresses. Very few women are blessed to have hips significantly narrower than their shoulders. Rectangular dresses need to be banned. Either dart that sucker or cut it with a very subtle a-line, because if this dress makes the model look bad how will it look on me? When your dress gapes across the back like a pelican’s neck it makes me wonder who you think you are to be designing clothes in the first place.
Down with unfinished hems and unflattering cuts! Let’s wear clothes that are made properly and look good!
image source: fashionising.com
