Aurelio Costarella
Known for his extravagant formal concoctions that are usually more cream than cake, I was pleasantly surprised by Costarella’s use of darker colours and tough materials. Although presenting some pieces in this season’s trademark nude tones, it was the structured black leather pieces that caught my eye and made me take a second glance.

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Gwendolynne
This label really has the heavenly bridal look wrapped up. Although some pieces were heavily embellished; the dresses remained uncomplicated and quite airy, which seems to be a rarity in garment design these days.

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Akira
Another designer known for his ethereal bridal gowns, the swathing layers of delicate tulle and painstainking embellishment provoke an overwhelming sense of innocent beauty; a sea of child-like empresses floating down the runway. However it was a beautiful modern-oriental charcoal silk kimono that snapped me back into reality with a burning desire for something I’d actually wear. Do want, Mr. Isogawa. Do. Want.

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Thurley
I have a confession to make – I’ve become a little partial to sequins. An aversion I’ve maintained since childhood (probably one too many heavily sequined dance costumes), sequins had become cognitively intertwined with Blanche Deveraux style man-eating cougars with big fluffy 80′s hair and old-lady perfume. But somewhere along the line (OK I can probably pin-point it to the LMFF Business Seminar when Sarah Curran wore – for at least part of the day – a jaw-droppingly gorgeous sequined blazer to speak about her online fashion business) I found myself desiring a little more daily bling outside of jewellery. Dear Thurley, let’s be honest. I am not your target customer. I do not have ultra-white teeth and a perma-tan. I do not drink champagne at The Ivy and I am not a bubbly glamor-girl. But I do like your sparkle. Love, Miss Ghost.

image source: fashionising.com

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

Footage courtesy of Hair TV Australia.

Official runway images are coming soon.

The only other designer from Project Runway Australia Season 2 to have a collection on the RAFW runway this year was Ivana Stipicic presenting her label Sim.me.ri.aN’s debut collection. A personal journey to the lands of perpetual darkness, the initial inspiration behind the collection was sparked by the designer’s curiosity about the Vikings; then moved into a more abstract direction by dictating the temperament of a Vulture.

Sim.me.ri.aN subsequently won the New Generation show, impressing Australian fashion heavyweight judges Peter Morrissey, Alex Perry and Wayne Cooper. The hooded cape in the final look had studs going all the way down the back like some kind of punk dinosaur. Très amazement, do want.

Another beautifully executed range of his signature swathing minimalist silk jersey pieces were on offer for Gary Bigeni’s collection for Spring Summer 10/11. Pieces were complimented with lightly tailored jackets and shorts.

While some may argue that Bigeni’s collection offers nothing new or daring for the Sydney-based designer, cult lovers of the label will relish in another collection of Bigeni’s expert drapery that gently envelopes the female form, asserting it’s sensuality whilst never being gratuitously sexual.

In theme with his fellow exhibiting designers, Bigeni’s colour palette fell largely towards white, pale blue and beige with a peppering of coral and one stand-out orange leather blazer.

The large industrial space that held the Therese Rawsthorne runway was the perfect contrast to Rawsthorne’s Spring Summer 10/11 collection. Utilising a combination of flowing silks, floral prints and a curious wet-look fabrication, the collection was a cohesive blend of femininity with an edge. Key shades of black, pale blue and nude were contrasted with bright red, a shade not seen amongst the many neutral palettes of her fellow designers.

The collection of contemporary classics well aligns with her vision of creating pieces that can be easily worn in the daily life of her customers, instead of sitting in a wardrobe unworn.

Etheral beauty and relaxed glamour was the order of the day at Lui Hon’s spring summer 10/11 collection runway. Minimal in style but complex in functional ingenuity, Hon’s collections utilise simple colour palettes in basic tones and instead focuses on his garment’s structure and draping to create his looks. Gold sequinned panels and flowing, romantic fabrication gave the collection a softer tone than previous ranges.

Konstina Mittas’s highly theatrical collection of extravagant evening wear left no expense spared. Architectural construction on shoulders and hips distorts the angles of the body and cheeky peek-a-boo detailing encourages a shift in perception for the viewer.

Friedrich Gray’s Spring Summer 10/11 collection, Refraction, was perhaps particularly endearing to me as several inspirations and references crossed over to my own collection for Drown, Nebula. As it happened, I serendipitously wore my Drown Refraction Pendant to the runway.

Inspired by the play of shapes and colours resulting from the optical behaviour – in particular, the refraction of light; designer Ben Pollit employed jarring, shard-like shapes in contrasting tones throughout the pieces in the collection. Sleek lines were accentuated asymmetrical cuts and knife-like splinters sewn into pieces across the chest and down the back.

Known for his unique digital prints in fabrications of silk and fine merino wool, Pollit surprised by keeping Refraction to tones and textures of brooding black and pristine white. Although this decision was appropriate for the tone of the collection, it left me feeling as though an integral part of the Friedrich Gray essence was missing.

Stand-out pieces from the collection included a sheer black maxi-dress panelled with prismatic shapes that resembled the remains of a broken mirror, and a beautiful leather bolero with sheer angular panels.

Dark floral femme, it was the styling for Zimmerman’s runway that clearly defined the RAFW veteran label’s aesthetic. Featuring large digitial rose prints across the collection, it would be easy to confuse single pieces from this collection for nanna chic. However the vision was clear – dark lips, chunky rings and bold metal collars that gave this would-be romantic collection an arcane undertone.