Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia presented resort collections from May 14 – 19 and featured over 50 designers. The week kicked off on Sunday with a runway show of the official designer for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, Dion Lee, at the Sydney Opera House.
Back in 2010, Dion Lee was the first designer to display his work at the Opera House. Lee graduated from the Sydney Institute of Technology in 2008 and debuted his designs in 2009. His latest resort collection featured exaggerated cuts, brimmed hats and sunglasses.
On the second day, model Jordan Barrett walked for designer Justin Cassin, which is the first menswear label to show this season. Justin Cassin debuted his first full collection during his MBFWA show. The line consists of mostly dark colors with plenty of elongated shirts and jackets.
Alice McCALL kicked off the second day with a carpeted runway and a collection with pops of color and floral designs. There were mostly dresses and high wasted shorts. The materials of the line were a mixture of sheer, ruffled, and fur like.
Thomas Puttick followed McCALL with his show that had powerful messages on what defines beauty. His inspiration behind the collection is diverse, empowering women, which also inspired him to cast inspirational models. Most of his collection featured soft and smooth materials in green, grey, blue, white, or black.
Also on the second day, Sass & Bide returned to the schedule after a 14 year hiatus from the MBFWA runway. The collection was inspired by Barcelona with orange pieces, but also included black and white pieces.
Day three began with a collection called “Katama” by Garrett Neff, which is Garrett Neff’s first luxury men’s swimwear line. The show took place at the Andrew Boy Charlton Pool, which was the perfect backdrop for the collection. The collection features mostly greens, blues, and whites on shirts, swimsuits, and shorts.
Another highlight of the day was the St.George Project NextGen. The project connects selected applicants with experienced industry mentors that train mentees on a broad range of skills and how to create a successful business after a launch of a collection. This year’s mentee designers of the program include Stanzee, Stephanie Henly, Sarah Hope Schofield, Meredith Bullen, Victoria Bliss and Isabelle Quinn.
On the fourth day, MBFWA welcomed back Anna Quan, who was part of the St.George NextGen Project from last year. She gained popularity when her white shirt with elongated sleeves went viral and created a following of celebrities and influencers. Her collection from MBFWA this year included her now signature elongated sleeves, along with other elongated designs and mostly white and blue colors.
Designer Ellery returned to MBFWA on the fifth day as well. Ellery celebrated 10 years in the fashion industry and in business with Etihad Airways, which is also celebrating 10 years of service to Australia. The event was held at Carriageworks, a contemporary art center in Eveleigh. The event showcased the most iconic and archival looks from last decade.
On the fifth day, Ten Pieces started the morning off at the Bondi Iceberg dining room, featuring male and female models that some say showcased edgy, simple and sophisticated style.
Designer Mariam Seddiq, who is known as a risk taker, showed contemporary sportswear with hand embellishments and relaxed silhouettes mixed with high fashion couture. Most of the colors in the collection were black, white, and pink.
Romance Was Born closed fashion week with their designs that tell a story called “Electro Orchid.” The show featured flowing dresses, sparkles, feathers, and varying textures and colors. The brand is known for its bold pieces and most people consider their pieces as works of art.
The final day of the week included talks from ECA, CCFA and WGSN about future fashion trends and the business behind fashion.
