Being more of a high street brand than a designer label, Shakuhachi’s SS 11/12 collection was subsequently incredibly large and versatile, spanning several distinct looks and trends. Prominent amongst these were bright pops of colour-blocking, lace, leather, print and embellishment. The brand produced it’s own accessories for the show in the way of clear PVC belts and wedges which added a really contempory edge to the range.

Although there were many looks in the collection that weren’t really to my personal taste (though I’m really loving the grey asymmetrical dress), you couldn’t help but appreciate the high commercial appeal of the collection which is sure to get picked up by lots of high street retailers.

Image Credit: Kelly Defina for fashionising.com

After Christopher Esber’s stunning solo RAFW debut last year (he’d previously shown in the same TAFE Innovators collection as classmate Dion Lee) I’m going to step up and say that I was dissapointed by his SS11/12 offering. There’s nothing inherrantly wrong with the collection… it ticks all my boxes; cohesive, conceptual and wearable, but ultimately falls short of my design expectations.

Esber’s previous summer collection stood out as a 90′s minimalist odyssey of constraint in colour and technicality, whereas this collection channeled – as my friend Lorena put it – “mother of the bride”. Although some remnants of his earlier inspiration shows through in this collection, the most memorable pieces are the shift dresses and demure blouse and skirt sets.

I’ve chosen my favourite looks from the collection to showcase here, and as a result they don’t entirely allude to my overall opinion of the collection as a whole.

There’s no denying Esber’s obvious technical talent, but in my eyes there’s some confusion as to which market he’s targetting as a designer. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

For some reason I couldn’t put my finger on, Limedrop presented the only runway of the week that actually felt like summer. The quirky but cohesive summer collection Calypso was built from a range of flattering and easy-going shapes in light fabrications ideal for enjoying an ice-cream down by the beach on a scorching summer’s day. While I appreciated the esotericism of designers like Michael Lo Sordo and Dion Lee’s summer collections; in the middle of a Melbourne heatwave isn’t that all anybody really wants out of their summer gear?

Showing for the first time at RAFW, master draper and fine tailor Carl Kapp cuts with enviably elegant restraint. Taking inspiration from the ballet shoe and the way it delicately ties around the leg, fluid silks in lustrous earth tones swathed the form with a relaxed grecian simplicity. Sunset and desert shades set fire to the fleeting silhouettes that transformed with the body’s slightest movement, creating different shapes with settled drapes and folds. Dresses clung to the neck and flowed to the floor, twisting at strategic points with knot work and subtle ribboning that tied ethereal slips of silk to a long, lean body with considered versatility.

Image Credit: Kelly Defina for fashionising.com

Showing a whopping 54 looks for his debut RAFW runway, Alistair Trung was amongst my most highly anticipated events of the week. The collection itself was largely everything I’d hoped for; summer leather, drapery, volume and layers. Famously quoted to have declared “I like to create clothing that wont give women a nervous breakdown,” Trung’s “trans-seasonal, trans-occasional, trans-age, trans-size and ultimately transgender” approach to design is what gives the label it’s strong international appeal. Taking inspiration from tribal culture, zen philosophy and the exploration of the ritual of dressing and adornment, the runway was no disappointment, if a little long winded.

By far a massive highlight for me so far this RAFW was Michael Lo Sordo’s swathing spring summer collection. In a delicate palette of white, soft pink, baby blue, sharp black and a delightfully moody smoke print. Elegantly effortless, the collection made subtle nods to 90′s minimalism in it’s cuts and shapes as well as craftily employing current trends such as sharp knife pleating. Lo Sordo’s ability to uncomplicate the female form through simplistic linear direction has seen his signature aesthetic graduate from strength to strength; of which the ethereal fluidity of this collection is a testament to.

After a brief dalliance with tones of gold, designer Gail Reid returns to her familiar palette of bold black and virginal white. Always staying true to her own avant garde aesthetic vision during a week of designers leaning towards common trends, the structured summer collection Stem & Flow featured radiating pleats, bubble hem lines and tulle. Although Reid has her legion of dedicated fans (many of whom came to support her in full costume), it will be interesting to see how retailers translate this highly conceptual collection to sales.

Image Credit: fashionising.com

I was very excited to get a tweet late last week from my friend Josh Scacheri, the designer behind Brisbane label Subfusco – requesting the use of Drown Jewellery to help accessorise his Ready To Wear runway at RAFW.

His Spring/Summer collection Elements was inspired by the evocative colour palette of the natural Earth, Wind, Water and Fire components. The bold digital print was designed by Scacheri himself and creatively utilised across the collection, tempered with more summer-neutral tones of crisp white, duck blue and dove grey.

Uscari’s SS11/12 collection “Sequence of Light” was a tenacious follow up to their AW11 collection, beautifully encapsulating the familiar Uscari aesthetic in a palette of predominately whites and creams, but also blush, peach and a delicate pastel print.

Conceptualised as the residue of dreams and reverie, designer Krystel Davis utilised a comprehensive range of textiles including chiffons, silks, broken stretch cottons and woven knits. These were enhanced with the application of burnt edges, copper studs and genuine leather accents.

images: Chanelle Lesilie

Genevieve Kulesza
I really enjoyed the creative combination of the water-colour textiles mixed back with the clear plastic. The playful nature of the colourful baubles and unusual volumes gave the collection a tone of lighthearted whimsy whilst remaining considered and intelligent.

Ephemeral Reverie
The delicate but voluminous dresses in this collection reminded me of oversized flowers; airy and graceful in a subtle palette of watery blues and charcoals. The attention to detail in the array of folds and gathers in the fabrication is a beauty to behold.

Kate Sala
The complex, esoteric nature of Sala’s designs spoke volumes through the collection’s minimalism in both colour and shape. I really appreciate the exercise of control employed in the pieces where limbs are literally strapped down into the garment. A real highlight.

Laura Anderson
We last saw this collection at the RMIT runway during MSFW last September but seeing Anderson’s collection again was a delight. Her skill for subtle detail such as fine laser-cutting in her materials is highly adept

White³
By far my favourite collection presented; the theatric origami inspirations were beautifully executed in muted shades of white, dove grey and charcoal. The pieces exuded a soft, mature femininity without being ditsy or frilly; and the cuts were simple but fluid and flattering. I was particularly blown away by the ethereal cascading white cape at the end. J’adore.

Celene Bridge
The delicate detailing and intelligent interpretation of the designer’s animal inspirations in this collection was magnificent. A dark whimsy radiated from the runway like an esoteric, fractured fairy tale – insidious, expertly crafted, beautiful and a little bit fierce.

Image Source: Fashionising.com