The difference between an industry focused fashion event and one aimed at the retail market is not the catwalk but the catcalls, and it was yowls aplenty at the opening of the sixth annual Brisbane Fashion Festival last night.
Coming to crescendo almost exactly halfway through the evening’s three show program, or when the collection from luxe menswear boutique Richards & Richards rippled down the runway, the vocal appreciation suggested even a mostly female audience can enjoy a fine lapel. But sculpted abs under tailored jackets weren’t the only drawcard of the evening’s festivities.
Four major Australian designers used the group shows to unveil their new season’s collections, giving Brisbane festival goers a rare first-look at fashion collections normally debuted elsewhere. West Australia based designer Aurelio Costarella delighted with a collection built around a nude pallet, and lots of feathers, while Melbourne’s Scanlan & Theodore served up a slick show in bright, block colour.
Akira Isogawa delivered a collection that stayed close to the lines and hues locals have grown accustomed to in the years since he opened his flagship boutique on Ann Street in 2009. And local design darlings Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson premiered their new diffusion line, EP by Easton Pearson, after giving the home audience a look at their label’s full summer collection.
Playful and youth-focused, the new line is distinct from the main Easton Pearson range in feeling and price, which the designers said was motivated by customer feedback. “Our buyers were telling us that young women are desperate for our clothes but can’t always afford them,” they said. "[EP] is a true diffusion line, capturing the best of Easton Pearson for a younger, aspirational market.”
On another scale altogether was the hyper-feminine, luxuriantly materialised collection from Paul Hunt.
Perfectly in tune with pop-culture’s current obsession with period-drama, Hunt’s stunning garments referenced the silhouettes of Mad Men and the Great Gatsby without stepping too close to the costume trunk. Another standout collection came from Brisbane designer Jo Turner who turned out a polished range for her young label Francis Leon.
Nicely balancing interesting design with wearability, the spring-summer range was seasonal, fresh, and skillfully accessorised. Meanwhile Justine Davis and Talulah trimmed their trot with some statement belts and bling, mostly metallic and mostly very large.
And while heavy metal isn’t always appropriate, some of the Kate McCoy pieces shown with Davis’ collection did manage to find the right note.