Rosemount Australian Fashion Week: Fashion Rising From Down Under

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA—Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, set to run April 28–May 2, kicked off with Spring/Summer styles that ranged from Bondi Beach cool to red-carpet chic.

More than 100 designers from Sydney, Melbourne, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific are taking part in individual- and group-collection shows over the course of the week. Staged harbor-side at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, the event overlooks the awe-inspiring Sydney Opera House. The week, organized by IMG Fashion, was off to a fashionable start on day one with chic, modern-nomad styles from Kirrily Johnston and a stunning multimedia showcase from Michelle Jank, who returned to the Australian runway via Paris. And of course, there were celebrities—Mischa Barton, Eve and the Kardashian sisters—seated front and center.

The week’s lineup features established Australian designer collections, including Camilla and Marc, Zimmermann, Wayne Cooper, Akira Isogawa, Lisa Ho, Ruth Tarvydas, Nicola Finetti, Ginger & Smart, Alex Perry and Anna Thomas. Highly anticipated shows include Thai label Stretsis, the launch of Sass & Bide’s new diffusion line, S&B Vie, and the Project Proteacute;geacute; show, sponsored by Australian Wool Innovation.

In addition, the event is jam packed with fashion at RAFW’s Agent Designer Suites, the New Zealand Lounge and Emerge @The Source, a conceptual area showcasing 25 emerging designers. California Apparel News Fashion Editor Jayne Seward will be on hand throughout the week to track up-and-coming designers, Spring/Summer trends and fashionable styles from the land of Oz.

Kirrily Johnston

Kirrily Johnston kicked off Rosemont Australian Fashion Week on April 28 with an undeniably chic collection that mixed East with West. The Sydney-based designer transformed the traditional nomad look into a modern collection suited for the international nomadic lifestyle of today. Mischa Barton turned out to see the show, which included tunic dresses paired with leggings, maillots worn with oversize vests and sporty tanks paired with harem pants. The collection was made in natural fibers, including cotton, linen, silk and cotton jersey in a palette of pastel gray, cream, black and gold infused with fuchsia.

Trimaacute;pee

Trimaacute;pee designers Peter Starteas and Mario-Luca Carlucci took a “Frankenstein” approach to design. The Melbourne-based design duo infused the darkness of Melbourne’s labyrinth-like streets and alleyways into their artsy collection. Men’s and women’s styles played on androgyny, juxtaposing masculine and feminine structures and fabrics. The collection, titled “God’s Mistakes,” played on the theme of all things rejected by nature. Leather, metallic silks, acetate, sequins and glitter-covered Doc Martens were used to create a high-shine, wet effect. Graphic prints and inventive styling added to the dark look, including a full-length coat created from a multitude of sleeves.

Hotel Bondi Swim

The husband-and-wife design duo of Fern Levack and Damion Fuller launched Hotel Bondi Swim on the opening day of Rosemont Australian Fashion Week. The former owners of the successful Kitten label have created their new line with the lifestyle of Bondi Beach as inspiration. The pair wanted to offer resort chic suits made with luxurious fabrics and details, vintage-inspired styling and the laid-back vibe of the local beach scene. The vibrant graphic prints were hand-drawn by Levack and Fuller, incorporating the people, flora and fauna in the area—including dogs, kangaroos, birds and koala bears.

One Teaspoon

One Teaspoon designer Jamie Blakey’s Spring/Summer collection was a mash up of 1970s hippie style with a rock ’n’roll–meets–“Mad Max” edge. The show, titled “All You Need Is Love,” kicked off with a cartoon of a skeleton man and woman facing a multitude of natural disasters together. “It had nothing to do with Amazonian, hippie-looking, ’Mad Max’ women, but it was fun,” Blakey said. The “love” theme of the cartoon characters was translated into tie-dyed dresses and swimwear, suede bikinis, relaxed cotton jersey dresses, and colorful denim. Roman empire cuts, rock ’n’ roll vests and tough-girl styling completed the look.