My fave from the first day is Akira, love his beaded tshirts (obviously influeneced from Prada-or vice versa) and the white peplos dress.
Enhjoy
Enhjoy
High Gear on Aussie Fashion Week's First Night
By Jenny Bailly
Fashion Wire Daily Sydney May 5, 2003 - Day one of Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week began at 9am with serene clothes in a silent art gallery, but by nightfall the soundtrack was 50 Cent and the frocks were all flash.
Akira Isogawa's artfully draped, gathered and pintucked pieces were aptly showcased in the sky-lit space of the Art Gallery of New South Wales; the sage green and beige tones and intricate texture of the clothes even complemented the Anselm Keifer that hung on the wall. Gauzy chiffon tops and low-slung gypsy skirts were adorned with buttons and patchwork and often accessorized with tribal beaded belts.
The figure-concealing androgyny of Isogawa's aesthetic served him well in turning out his first men's pieces. Male and female models sported virtually the same wide-cut pants, some in sheer white, others tye-dyed. The designer's delicate touch works best for women though, and the billowy white backless gowns that closed the show will be strong contenders for the fashion world's next "Goddess" exhibition.
Justine.Taylor.Made also debuted men's looks, which also differed only slightly from the women's pieces in this "Tuxedo"-themed show. Designer Justine Taylor's diffusion line injected the typical suit with Asian twists, like calligraphy prints and cheongsam cuts, as well as '80s touches, such as batwing sleeves. The denims and polished twills were elegant in the women's versions and offered enough heft to masculinize the men's looks.
The rest of the day's designers were all about girls, girls, girls, as Leona Edmiston, Bettina Liano, Easton Pearson and sass & bide offered their versions of ultra-feminine frocks.
In the second show of her second comeback since her acrimonious split with business partner Peter Morrissey in 1997, Leona Edmiston (photos) has proven her diversity -- as long as you're looking for a dress. Georgette or jersey, halter or sheath, ruffled or ruched, the designer showed 43 dresses for spring/summer 2003. Before the dramatic open-air backdrop of the Sydney Harbor, this festive - if sometimes unfocused - parade of party dresses was utterly unfettered in its feminine frills. Some '80s spirit seeped out here as well, in the form of fluorescent knee socks paired with white pumps.
Bettina Liano took that theme even further with bubble skirts, leggings and ruffled minis in a collection she defines as "neo punk classique." This Melbourne-based designer built her business on figure-flattering denims that even Cameron Diaz loves, but her latest collection showcased little of this trademark, turning instead to skintight cut-out "Pretty Woman" mini-dresses reminiscent of the pre-Rodeo Drive Julia Roberts.
The Easton Pearson woman certainly wouldn't blend in on Hollywood Boulevard though, not in ballet flats and an intricately embroidered A-line wrap skirt. The design duo of Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson turned out their trademark ethnic-themed looks for spring, with brilliantly bold prints, mirror embellishes, raw-edge fabrics and most refreshing of all -- minis actually manageable for non-models, like Baz Luhrmann's wife Catherine Martin, who sat front-row.
Though sass& bide was one of the only Australian labels that many foreign buyers were familiar with going into the week (that's what a little "Sex and the City" placement will do), it won't necessarily be the one foremost in their minds on the way home. Designers Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke deemed the collection a fusion of the '20s and -- you guessed it -- the '80s, "where Josephine Baker hooks up with Blondie in a curious NYC time warp." That apparently translates to many of the ruched mini-dresses that had already made their way down other runways. But regardless, the high-energy show had no problem getting the packed house to party like it was their birthday.
scourse: WFD