Category Archives: LFW Style

It’s (re)Covered – by Penny

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A couple of weekends ago I popped over to the Old Bus Depot Markets for a few buttons and some cheese when a new stall, It’s Covered – by Penny, caught my eye. I’d been looking for a footstool for ages—not a pouffe (tuffet) or an ottoman, but a proper footstool with carved wooden legs and nice upholstery, but I didn’t want an old style one with dark timber and tapestry—it had to be light and bright and modern. I was, or had been, on a quest, and one that I’d all but given up on, but there, on this stall was the perfect little footstool and it was definitely coming home with me.

Selection of monochrome upcycled footstools and chairs

Selection of monochrome upcycled footstools and chairs

But it wasn’t just the footstool that got my attention. Everything on this stall was delightful, more stools, dining chairs, ottomans, laundry baskets, and cushions—all in a gorgeous range of fabrics and designs, and it immediately crossed my mind that these beautiful hand-made soft furnishings would be perfect in a beach house.

Seascape cushions

South coast beach themed cushions

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Upcycle with Melanie Child

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It’s a fact that the fashion industry has a bad reputation for being wasteful. Very wasteful; shamefully wasteful. But we all have to wear clothes on our back, so what to do?

By Wendy Johnson

Melanie Child, a fashion designer from New Zealand, says we have to think about what we wear and make decisions about whether we want to add to the problem or do something about it. Melanie, who runs independent fashion label Melanie Child, knows a thing or two about the topic. She is an award-winning designer specialising in upcycling, and not just any old upcycling; high-end, fashion-focused upcycling.

Upcycled by Melanie Child

Upcycled by Melanie Child

In Melanie’s world, upcycle means to reuse one item to create another of higher quality or value than the original. “We live in a world saturated with mass production and its by-products,” says the designer. “Approximately 4 per cent of total annual waste into landfill in New Zealand alone is textile waste. It’s a big problem.”  Continue reading →

Who is MirandaSAKHINO?

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By Wendy Johnson

It’s hard to peg Miranda Seakgosing. A fashion designer? A style blogger? Well, she’s both, and a new mum and definitely model material. I mean, look at her in these gorgeous photos.

Photographer: Andrew Kiyingi. This photograph is copyright and not to be used without permission

Miranda. Photographer: Andrew Kiyingi. This photograph is copyright.

Whatever role she’s playing, Miranda, of contemporary label MirandaSAKHINO, has her hands full these days. She’s busy putting the finishing touches on her latest collection, which she’ll showcase on Friday, 15 May at FASHFEST. This is Miranda’s debut appearance at the event and when she’s not busy backstage getting her models zipped up—to wow guests with her designs—she’ll be in the audience with her co-designer and photographer husband, reporting for the event. How versatile is that? Click the link to check out more stunning photos including from her latest collection.  Continue reading →

Canberra’s Inspirational Design

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The inspiration that is Canberra

By Wendy Johnson

Whoever says Canberra isn’t a truly inspiring part of the world is, well, very misguided. Very misguided. Just ask several of the fashion designers madly working on their new collections for FASHFEST 2015 about their inspiration. They’ll tell you the bush capital, and surrounding region, offers up plenty to work with.

BMdesigns by Barb Mickelson

BMdesigns by Barb Mickelson

Click the link to read who’s inspired by what at FASHFEST 2015! Continue reading →

CIT has Talent!

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CIT Graduate All-Stars at FASHFEST

By Wendy Johnson

Travelling. Tea parties. Sports. Psychoanalysis. Luxury resorts. The corporate environment. What’s the common thread?

The recent graduates in fashion design who will be launching debut collections on the catwalk at FASHFEST 2015, culminating in an All-Star Showcase on closing night. The six young designers, fresh out of studies at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), promise guests an exciting experience. “It’s rare to have such a diversity of aesthetic,” says Steve Wright, who teaches fashion and design at CIT and is FASHFEST’s producer. “It’s why we decided to do the showcase on Saturday, with all labels forming one segment. It will be challenging to choreograph because of the diversity, but intriguing for guests.”

Models: Lara Schroeder; Bronwyn Whitton; Georgia Whitton. MUA: Meg Stewart Makeup. Photographer: Kelda Rundle Photography

Models: Lara Schroeder; Bronwyn Whitton; Georgia Whitton. MUA: Meg Stewart Makeup. Photographer: Kelda Rundle Photography

CIT is FASHFEST’s official education partner. “We have always believed in growing the industry in every way we can,” says Co-founder Andrea Hutchinson. “That includes providing graduates with a platform for their work. This is about providing new designers with real-life experience and what is involved in the serious business of showcasing and branding a fashion label.”

Read more to check out all the CIT graduates and their labels Continue reading →

Music! Music! Music!

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FASHFEST has always been known to buck the trend and that includes with music. No boring piped-in music for this event. No pushing music to the background. FASHFEST is beating its own drum!

By Wendy Johnson

FASHFEST has always thrilled guests with live music and this year is no exception with 15 live musical acts on deck to entertain 4,000 guests across the event’s four nights. The line-up includes artists who have backed great musicians like James Morrison, Guy Sebastian, Christine Anu, Ricki-Lee Coulter and Grace Knight.

Ashley Feraude (Magnifik) FASHFEST Musical Director

Ashley Feraude (Magnifik) FASHFEST Musical Director

The music has been scouted and will be produced by Director Ashley Feraude (alias Magnifik), who has hand-picked 8 vocalists, 4 DJs, 2 instrumentalists and 1 producer—a record number for FASHFEST—including many respected and well-known names on the Canberra music scene. “Just like the fashion itself, the sounds of FASHFEST are truly memorable,” says Ashley. “These top acts bring their own sense of style to the guest experience.” Continue reading →

Jewellery reflects Canberra’s Infrastructure

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Canberra’s roundabouts inspire beautiful jewellery!

By Wendy Johnson

What do you think of when someone mentions Canberra’s infrastructure? Well, apart from the never ending road works, it’s got to be the roundabouts—right? And did you know there are 15 roundabouts between Belconnen and the airport? Talk about going round in circles! But those roundabouts, and maps of Canberra, do so much more than help us get around. They inspire!

TanjaVonBehrens_1

Tanja von Behrens, a contemporary jeweller living in Tasmania, is designing a new collection of pieces based on our streets and the aesthetic of the city so carefully planned by Walter Burley Griffin many moons ago. Tanja will launch her new jewellery collection at FASHFEST 2015, on the Friday of the four-day event (13 to 16 May). Her place in the four-day event is a great fit since the theme of that night’s show is ‘Cartographer’—the mapper inspired by location and place. For Tanja, this involves creating a piece inspired by Captain Cook Crescent, and a wrist cuff inspired by Anzac Parade. Continue reading →

FASHFEST Tickets on sale NOW!

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Tickets for Canberra’s most glamorous annual fashion event are on sale now and selling sizzling hot.

By Wendy Johnson (for LFW)

FF tickets image

When asked why she wanted to participate in FASHFEST, even though it means lugging a mountain of garments and other paraphernalia all the way from Melbourne, Mariska Thynne didn’t skip a beat. The fashion designer behind the label The Professor’s Daughter, has a sister who lives in the capital—a sister who attended FASHFEST last year.

“My younger sister and I go to a lot of fashion events together, including in Melbourne and Sydney,” she says. “Last year she went to FASHFEST and told me how fabulous it was. She said it was more of a spectacle and a curated show, not just a parade.

FASHFEST is a spectacle. This year will see four days of entertainment, featuring new collections by more than 30 designers, worn by around 80 models walking to the beat of music by 14 live musicians, covering a wide range of genres, from rap to jazz. Read on to find out how this spectacle works, who pulls it together, and view the Faces of FASHFEST. Continue reading →

Fashion for Rockstars and Royalty

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Rockstars and Royalty’s Reign of the Forest

by Wendy Johnson (for LFW)

It was a snippet from an interview with London designer Basia Zaryzka that led Vicky Kidd-Gallichan to name her independent fashion label. “I was living in England and heard Basia say she creates gowns for rockstars and royalty. I thought it would be a fabulous name for a business,” says Vicky. Fast forward to 2007 and Vicky had moved to Canberra and opened Rockstars and Royalty, creating pretty princess gowns, rock ‘n’ roll-inspired pieces and glamourous cocktail dresses.

Anneliese Seubert in Rockstars and Royalty - FASHFEST 2013

Anneliese Seubert in Rockstars and Royalty – FASHFEST 2013

It would be challenging to pick which side of the label suits Vicky’s personality best—no doubt it’s a bit of both. She loves colour, has been known to have bright pink hair and has a tattoos on both arms. Suffice it to say that it really doesn’t matter—everything Vicky turns her hands to turns out to be inspiring, whether fairy tale or edgy. Think, for example, about her collection, which she launched at the inaugural FASHFEST, Canberra’s four-day, red-carpet fashion event. Guests were transfixed with the beauty of each piece, including the gold and teal gown worn by the Face of FASHFEST 2013, super model Anneliese Seubert (see pic above). Her more recent Reign of the Forest collection, near and dear to Vicky’s heart, is just as stunning.

Reign of the Forest. Model - Samantha Farrow

Reign of the Forest. Model – Samantha Farrow

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WHO IS … ?

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WHO IS exhibition

by Wendy Johnson (for LFW)

When Louisa de Smet was invited to incorporate furniture design into her fashion design, she didn’t skip a beat. Louisa, the local fashion designer behind the label Corr Blimey, understands the intrinsic value of quality design, no matter what the discipline. And she was even more intrigued by the invitation because of the connection to Germany. So let’s take a step back and put all of this together for you.

Designcraft, which sells a wide range of authentic Australian and international furniture—mostly top-notch lines available exclusively through their massive showroom in Hume—loves the idea of cross-pollinating local business and international brands.

Scaffold dress and Walter Knoll chair

One of their iconic lines of furniture is Walter Knoll, based in Germany and celebrating 150 years in business in 2015. Designcraft also knew of Louisa, who has visited Berlin with her partner Steven Wright several times, each time inspired by what they saw on a deep level—architecture, colours, culture and quirkiness of so many of the hidden gems they stumbled across while wandering the city’s streets. Why not bring the two together brands together and see what could transpire, thought Bob Fenderson, Managing Director of Designcraft.

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