Harpers Bazaar L’Oreal Paris Runway 7 this past Friday night was set to be a hit with some local celebs turning out for the occasion and the fashion set frocking up for the last of the premium designer shows. Ruby Rose, the Nervo twins and Amber Renae were up front and centre and when the lights went down while Natalie Imbruglia, Emma Lung and Teresa Palmer joined us via a big screen montage and mini backstage pass to the Harpers Bazaar photo shoot featured in this months’ issue. A fabulous mix of whimsical and the completely unreal, the shoot placed celebrities and models in fairytale scenarios with extravagant costumes and make up, have-to-be-seen-to-be-believed locations and impressive photography. You can see all this and more in this months’ Harpers Bazaar, but for us, it was time to witness some of the hottest designers of the moment on the catwalk.
Martin Grant opened the show with a fantastic strapless little black dress with bodice detail; he made hips a feature on a grey and black dress then mixed things up with a hot pink coat and strapless dress.
Local favourite Akira was cute in a belted red dress before introducing red, pink and turquoise polka dots. His orange and blue dresses were flowing and quite Spring-like before returning to structured tailoring with a navy dress.
The leather trend seen at previous shows was apparent at Fernando Frisoni. The designer used patent leather as a feature on most garments, combined with high waisted leggings in mottled green and black, draped scarves and a floor length coat.
Scanlon and Theodore also used leather on a palette of grey, taupe, brown and black. Lot’s of leather skirts were on the runway as well as prominent hips and pocket features. As someone who loves pockets, this was a favourite of mine.
In what appeared to be a Hawaiian pool party from the 60s inspired collection, Easton Pearson opened with a green print dress with sequins and a velvet gold skirt. Black and gold feathered earrings were fab, and a navy crochet dress was brilliant in its detail.
Continuing the theme with wild colour and vivid imagination, Tina Kalivas’s collection reminded me of Lego. Jamaican colours of red, yellow, green and black were featured on all outfits in square blocks laid out in geometric shapes. Some grey basics slipped in and gold earrings but nice to see some creativity!
Timothy Godbold used suede on a taupe dress, featured silver metallic as a feature on dresses and elected to concentrate on shoulders by parading tops with just one. His angles and draping were consistent with the season, layered over black basics.
The final designer of the night was Michael Angel but there was nothing angelic about his collection. Cinched in waists over wide exaggerated hips in rich plums and navy, a black dress with a dominatrix feel and a navy fur coat rounded out a parade that showed Melbourne might dabble in colour occasionally but our staple palette of black and grey will always be in fashion.
Image thanks to Harpers Bazaar
