12 Highlights From Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia

The week’s most anticipated show, (Cate Blanchett, Debbie Harry and M.I.A are fans) is one that never disappoints. This year, Romance Was Born designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales, sent out a fashion fantasy of disco-soaked looks, half Studio 54, half opium den dwellers; a demi-couture collection heavy in hand-finished surface detail that took weeks at a time to produce. Then there was the glitter-covered nipples one model sported and the words hand-painted onto another by Australian artist Del Kathryn Barton that doubled as another full look. “It’s most definitely a fantasy realm of a non-stop disco where unicorns exist and rainbows line the skies,” explained the duo of the show. Photo: Daniel Boud

Built on the idea of ten unisex interchangeable garments, Ten Pieces presented at the institutional, Insta-perfect Bondi Iceberg’s restaurant. Competing with a view over the famous crystal blue beach, the label’s resort collection was one of the most buzzed-about of the week amongst editors and buyers. When asked why they chose the local haunt for their presentation, designers Lucy Hinckfuss and Maurice Terzini told BAZAAR, “It’s a brand designed for the Bondi beach lifestyle, allowing the wearer to effortlessly transcend from day to night – beach to Icebergs!”. Photo: Lucas Dawson

Designers this season worked on deconstructing the trans-seasonal classic, the trench, whether transformable as at Christopher Esber, re-imagined in Baywatch red à la Michael Lo Sordo, melding into a fluid jumpsuit like Bianca Spender sleeveless at KitX. Photo: Getty

“Australian style is known for its laid-back, carefree, fun vibes and that’s what we’re all about—easy-going resort wear that works just as well on the sand as it does on the street,” explained Toby Jones and Mikey Nolan, the Ksubi alumni behind label Double Rainbouu. The playful Hawaiian shirt-styles at the core of the brands DNA were anchored with socks and fluffy flip-flops and made for a lighthearted, irreverent presentation. Photo: Getty

Former Harper’s Bazaar Australia fashion editor, Marina Afonina, presented her second Fashion Week Australia collection to the glamorous, old-world-Italy soundtrack of The Talented Mr. Ripley, set in a Mediterranean villa-inspired space off-site. “Botticelli paintings, old Italian movies, girls with fluffy hair,” explained Afonina of her inspiration for the resort line. Of special note, the collaboration between Albus Lumen and jewelry designer Ryan Storer that used raw, found shells spun into gold chokers and bracelets were the accessories of the week. Photo: Saskia Wilson

“It’s actually very, very hard to make [models] smile on the catwalk! They were all given a pep talk before they went out,” explained Beth Macgraw, one half of the sister duo behind the label, backstage after the show. “We’re not a serious brand—we sew hearts on knickers!—so for us, fashion is fun.” The collection’s starting point was ‘love’ and ‘love letters’ with hand-darned hearts scattered throughout the flirtatious, fun assembly of looks. And with a finale of dancing, uncharacteristically happy catwalkers, the crowd couldn’t help but smile along. Photo: Getty

For a brand whose greatest success comes from outside the country—mentorships from the late Franca Sozzani, awards from Woolmark and Prix de Marie Claire, invitations to show on-schedule at Paris and Milan fashion weeks—Mario-Luca Carlucci and Peter Strateas took influence from closer to home for their Resort 2018 collection. Inspired by good old Aussie slang, the designers sent t-shirts printed with ‘DEVO’ (short for devastated) and ‘SUSS’ (short for suspicious) down the runway to the delight of the crowd. “We love to shorten and chop words here in Australia—it’s a playful way to explain things,” the designers told BAZAAR.

Whether cleverly deconstructed, layered with a corset belt or so long in the arms as to make it of the ‘Look ma, no hands’ variety, the not-so-classic button up was the Sydney style set’s garment of choice. Photo: Getty

Back on the Australian catwalk for the first time in 14 years, the Sass & Bride Resort 2018 collection was a riot of sequins, lamé, glitter and fringing inspired by Gaudi’s Casa Batllo. Despite the eye-catching display up top, attention was drawn south to the surprisingly wearable tinsel mules that anchored each look. Photo: Getty

Male supermodel (and rumored ex of Bella Hadid, Hayley Baldwin and Megan Irwin) @iblamejordan returned to home shores–Barrett is a Byron Bay boy, after all. In town to walk for NYC-based Aussie native, Justin Cassin, Barrett ensured show goers site-wide accessorized their show-going looks with a healthy natural blush. Photo: Justin Cassin

Model trio Georgia Fowler, Elyse Taylor and Montana Cox were the week’s homecoming queens. Two-thirds Victoria Secret angels, (Fowler and Taylor both have their wings) the Aussie ex-pats returned from their NYC digs to support local talent. And, in a homecoming of her own, '90s supermodel Emma Balfour opened the Christopher Esber show and promptly stole it. Photo: Getty

Nestled between the iconic sails of one of the world’s most recognizable buildings, the Dion Lee show kick-started the week with a sleek, urbanite women’s collection and the debut of a swim and menswear line. “The Sydney Opera House is something I’ve consistently looked to for creative inspiration, drawing synergies between its architecture and the sculptural nature of my collections,” the designer explains. Photo: Getty