Pushing the Edge on Style at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week

By N. Jayne Seward | Friday, May 14, 2010

From swimwear to eveningwear, Australian designers have a decidedly unique flair for style. At Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, which just wrapped up in Sydney, a variety of fresh looks turned up on the runway for Spring/Summer 2010/11.

Zimmermann Spring/Summer 2010/11, photo courtesy of aulifestyle/MarieClaire

Deriving inspiration from the country’s laid-back lifestyle and rich landscape, designers pushed the edge on innovation. There was everything from classic and clean poolside chic to sexy yet modern lace dresses, dark ’70s extravagance and denim that defied typical notions of style. Here is a look at some of the top collections.

For Zimmermann, creating a high fashion look is always the goal. “It’s the reason why we do swimwear,” said Nicky Zimmermann, who created the brand with her sister Simone. “For me, swimwear is a garment. It’s something that you think about as much as what you’re going to wear out to dinner,” she explained. For Zimmermann one millimeter can make all the difference. The designer often scrapes the miniscule measurement off of a bikini or one of her high-tech suits to achieve the perfect fit. Zimmermann pushed the design edge to create this season’s theme, “The Vanishing Point.” Floral prints and graphics converged into fashion-forward cylindrical silhouettes such as elegant trousers, jumpsuits and long dresses. Swimwear was high tech, incorporating high waists and sheer inserts and dresses featured intricate strings details that connected panels of the garments like windows.

Zimmermann, photo by Lucas Dawson

The inspiration for Arnsdorf’s Spring/Summer collection came out of the concept of the reflections, refractions, inflections and colors of light. Designer Jade Sarita Arnott said the idea came from looking at light passing through crystals and the different dimensions and lines that it created. She took the idea and applied it to garments by building in shaped structures with neoprene padding to create dimension. Garments such as a nude dress with bell sleeves became more three-dimensional, and a bow on a printed blouse had a raised effect. Arnott showed her evolution this season, creating prints for the first time. The designer, who recently located to New York, has a background in creative arts and collaborated with New York-based artist Roanne Adams to create the digital prints.

Arnsdorf, photo courtesy of Vogue.com.au

Ellery is for a chic, edgy customer who appreciates exquisite fabrics and a well-cut garment. This season, the horoscope and star signs served as inspiration for Kym Ellery’s collection. The designer said she wanted her collection and presentation to represent the zodiac and the different elements within it. Models walked a circular catwalk on a smoky stage set with pyramid shaped symbols of an astrological chart. The collection had a refreshingly edgy ’70s undertone featuring silhouettes such as oversized flair pants and men’s tailored tuxedo jackets that were transformed into capes. Slick cutaway blazers were juxtaposed with sequins, sparkling leather and Italian brocade fabrics. Ellery also incorporated a lighter, more feminine element with silk georgette ruffled skirts. She applied ostrich feathers to leather dresses and some killer boots for extra drama.

Ellery, photo courtesy of Vogue.com.au

For Jayson Brunsdon, inspiration for the season came from the Australian summer. “It was very fresh, it was very clean, clear, cool,” said the designer, who had the pool and plastic pool toys on his mind when designing the collection. Think the beach, lounging poolside and simplicity. The look was feminine but modern and showed a slightly more playful side to the designer’s signature ladylike sensibility. Brunsdon utilized plasticized fabrics such as a crushed polyester for skirts and dresses and applied a clear plastic onto white lace. This was the designer’s first foray into shoes and accessories, which came in gelato shades of aqua and coral. A perfect complement for the Brundson’s signature classic but chic look.

Jayson Brunsdon, photos courtesy of Jayson Brunsdon

Jayson Brunsdon, photo courtesy of Jayson Brunsdon

Seventh Wonderland has been making waves in Australia and stateside with its innovative swim collection. Designed by Bonnie Coumbe along with partner Carlos Aviles, the inspiration for the Summer collection came from Busby Berkeley’s choreography in the 1930’s classic “By a Waterfall.” The magical setting of the film created a relaxed yet high-fashion fantasy world of kaleidoscopic prints, water reflections and illusions—a fantastical mood that is inherent to the Seventh Wonderland brand. The collection ranged from delicate and fluid shapes to structured and form-fitting silhouettes with intricate detailing such as hand macramé, zippers, lace-ups and shirring. “I always try to bring things in that are not normally seen in swimwear,” explained the designer. “I always try and push it,” she added. Coumbe hand-created each print and added Kaftans, high-waisted shorts and trousers to expand the brand’s swimwear-as-outerwear concept.

Seventh Wonderland, photo courtesy of Désordre

Manning Cartell’s Spring/Summer collection was inspired by Spanish tales of romance. Matadors and mistresses collided on the runway in a series bolero suit jackets, easy jersey tanks paired with skirts and elegant yet sexy lace dresses. Made in beautiful lace fabrics and executed with impeccable tailoring, it was one of the standout collections of the week. Designed by sister trio Gabrielle, Cheryl and Vanessa Manning, the collection blended wearability with an elegant edge. The collection explored volume and texture utilizing perforated leather, 3-D beading effects and striped jacquards. Intricate details included paneled effects on dresses and deconstructed lace applied to fine tulle for a sheer modern look. Prints were inspired by the black ink drawings of English illustrator Aubrey Beardsley and added an artsy dimension to the collection.

Manning Cartell, photo courtesy of Manning Cartell

The Ksubi girl is the epitome of tomboy sexy. She’s a no-frills girl who wears biker boots, jeans, a jacket, oh, and guys' underwear. It’s that irreverent sense of style that has catapulted Ksubi to a favorite among the hipster set. This season the brand had cause to celebrate. After navigating rough financial waters earlier this year, Ksubi celebrated its 10-year anniversary by closing Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. “It was our 10-year anniversary, so we wanted to go back to our roots and also look to the future,” explained Ksubi co-founder Dan Single. The show included a high-tech presentation complete with four large video screens and a circular runway that had models marching around the room in a military fashion. This season, the designers showed their maturity with a more sophisticated and polished collection. “This is the most controlled range we’ve done, and what we thought we created was a uniform basically.... to represent our tribe,” said founding partner George Gorrow. A clean palette, sexy skinny jeans with banded cut-outs, jumpsuits, high-waisted bottoms, skimpy shorts, shredded jackets, textured surface treatments, light bleached out denim and a military vibe characterized the collection.

Ksubi, photo courtesy of Ksubi