Fashion festival comes alive

By Samantha Goss

This year’s L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival kicked off in Docklands with a bang.

The best of Australian fashion talent was out in full force for a week of canapes, champagne, long legs and sartorial mayhem.

The most highly anticipated show for the week was L’Oreal Paris Runway 4, presented by Vogue, displaying the Australian designers at the top of the fashion game.

Perth-based label Ellery stole the show at the Myer parade with designer Kym Ellery setting the bar enormously high with her signature, structured metallics and fancy flares.

A close runner-up was the ever-flawless Dion Lee whose soft geometric prints and blended coat collars got the job done nicely.

Magdalena Velevska proved that even relatively new labels can hold their own with the big guns.

Her use of all-over apple green and purple furs was a welcome inclusion after the muted wonders of predecessor Dion Lee.

As always, street label Ksubi presented what all the cool kids will soon be wearing which, this season, included army-print dresses, hints of leopard print and, naturally, lots of leather.

Fresh label Jolet was a standout, sending models trotting down the runway in three-piece pantsuits of a dreamy cityscape print – not your average office-wear!

A welcomed inclusion was this year’s National Graduate Showcase brought to us by Sportsgirl.

It was inspiring – witnessing raw, innovative talent on the cusp of burgeoning greatness.

Recent graduate Anna Langdon’s debut collection was a particular favourite showing colourful, cartoonish and non-sensical designs.

As for accessories, Mimco unveiled an unbelievable collection of layered heavy chains, rock-inspired silver necklaces and be-jewelled clutches – with LA-based Australian swimsuit model Jessica Gomes flying in to open and close the show.

If you’re looking for an easy, fashion-forward way to wear new styles, the most consistent trend throughout was definitely the digital print – done particularly well by local label White Suede.