The document summarizes several Australian fashion designers and their spring/summer collections shown at Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week in Sydney. It highlights key pieces and styles from collections by Aurelio Costarella, Alex Perry, Kahlo, Ellery, Strateas Carlucci, Gail Sorronda, Phoenix Keating, By Johnny, and Michael Lo Sordo. Common themes across collections included comfortable resort styles, sportswear influences, draping and volume, and bold uses of color.

1. Viviana Pannell
looks at the first
major spring–summer
collections, from
Mercedes-Benz
Australian Fashion
Week in Sydney,
with a forecast of
comfortable, resort
living and sporting
styles
Sydney’s easy
summer spirit
Once again, the Sydney Carriage­works
housed Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion
Week, and what a venue it is. My only complaint
would be that it is harder to reach than the Over­seas
Terminal, which housed the event until 2012,
but it is chic and sleek and has all the light and
space that is needed to feature the collections.
The week was launched by Carla Zampatti
on Sunday, followed by a welcome ceremony
in the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, studded
by glitteratti and those who are trying hard to
be. A hub for fashionistas, I immediately caught
up with Phoebes Garland, who was wearing a
most astonishing jacket designed by Cameo (a
label owned by her stepdaughter). Joshua Heath
was also there, trying to demonstrate to other
male stylists how things are worn, as he has
achieved the right balance of sleek, different but
not clownish. These two are on the list of best
dressed fashionistas in Sydney.
But you can be thoroughly entertained by
what some people wear as well. The creator of
Zoolander may have a field day and entirely new
ideas here. Good on the people who dare!
fashion
Being fed and watered at the Mercedes-Benz
Star Lounge was not at all something I was op­posed
to, and this melting-pot of talents and fol­lowers
has been an exhilarating place to people-watch,
chat and exchange ideas and, in general,
have a fantastic time.
Having watched various collections, I can
definitely say that crop-tops, whether fitted or
flared, boxy shapes and colour banding will be
very much in next summer, along with short
versions of 1950s flare skirts, new takes on
sportswear made fashionable and easy-going
resort wear. I spotted versions of harem trou­sers
on various collections and gowns remain
goddess-style, with colour panelling a feature in
various collections.
Aurelio Costarella
Aurelio Costarella is earning a formidable repu­tation
internationally as he turns his Western
Australian-based company into an international
luxury brand. Driven by the design process, each
thematic collection is an exploration that moves
seamlessly from one season to the next.
Alex Perry
Alex Perry photographed by Lucas Dawson Photography
46 lucire 33/2014

2. Aurelio Costarella Aurelio Costarella
It was very fitting for
Aurelio Costarella to open
mbafw 2014. The design­er
is celebrating his 30th
year in business, a true
pioneer of Australian fash­ion
and, most specially, wa fashion. Consid­ered
the wild, wild west, wa is more a place
for cowboys than for creators of beauty, but
Costarella broke new ground and put Perth
on the map, not only for Australian fashion
but for the world.
However, when one meets the man be­hind
the dreamy
frocks, you find a
disarmingly down-to-
earth person: fame
has not spoiled Cos­tarella
and he remains
true to himself.
The collection, Sol­aire,
opened with an
impressive, very de­tailed
bodysuit, fol­lowed
by a succession
of gowns of unbridled
femininity. Costarella
is keen on soft, feath­ery
effects and you
could see this resurfac­ing
in some of this col­lection’s
gowns, but
he also added some
very architectural,
Holly­wood
goddess-style, black-and-white
gowns, a splash of fuchsia, orange and purple,
as well as a more edgy capsule of citrus and
blue garments that made me feel like soar­ing
up in the sky, as they made me think of
hang-gliders, the sky, and the endless blue sea
which I can perennially see here in Sydney.
Costarella’s mastery of the feminine form
remains apparent in his prowess of tailoring
extremely detailed corsets that depart from
the norm and have interesting cuts added to
their complexity. Never one to follow trends
but set them, Aurelio continues producing
pieces that stylish women can wear anytime,
now or in twenty years. True works of art.
Alex Perry
Synonymous with style and elegance, Alex
Perry is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most
iconic, celebrated and enduring designers.
The brand has a rich history that spans more
than two decades.
Perry named his collection Varsity, and
truly captured a spirit of cheerleading fun,
making interesting use of bands, contrast
colour panels and insertions where, unex­pectedly,
this take on sportswear–active-wear
was delivered in sequinned and croc-like
laminated materials, rich textures, laces and
other delicate fabrics that you would not nor­mally
see in a collection embracing a youth­ful,
sporty spirit. But it worked.
In the midst of his fresh new look, Perry
delivered the rich, body-hugging gowns we
are all used to seeing from him. In vivid colour.
Alex Perry
Alex Perry
Aurelio Costarella

3. My favourite was a black dress with asym­metric
shoulder and exposed right leg. The
shaped basques and flares on skirts gave the
collection a flirtatious flavour. Sweet.
Kahlo
Kahlo’s collections feature trans-seasonal ele­ments
with beautifully soft leathers, suede,
merino wool and silks throughout. Kahlo’s
spring–summer 2014–15 collection is reminis­cent
of teenage sportswear, with simple, clean
lines, incorporating metallic and holographic
leather in rose gold and silver, coupled with
a colour palette of mint, pale pink, blush and
grey marle to invoke a mood of Italian disco
and the French underground dance scene.
Boxy, flared crop tops, tabs on sleeves, lay­ering
and general ease of wear were apparent.
The piece I thought is a must-have is a pair
of black trousers with exposed gold zippers
running down the front of both legs.
Ellery
Another famous St Martin’s graduate, Perth-born
Kym Ellery has achieved cult local status
and international success since launching her
label in 2007.
Ellery’s effortless æsthetic was fashion’s
newest asset. Strong silhouettes, daring com­binations
of textures and unique hardware
detailing create its distinctly modern feel. Its
collections present a seamless urban uniform.
The designer’s muse is individualistic and de­
fashion
Alex Perry
Kahlo
Kahlo
48 lucire 33/2014

4. cidedly feminine.
The summer ’15 collection was a mix of
sculptural long gowns and easy-fit garments
exploring volume and flare, unusual sleeve
lengths and the mix of plain and textured ma­terials.
The stand-out for me was a goddess
gold top featuring pleated drapes paired with
translucent organza trousers.
Strateas Carlucci
The Strateas Carlucci design method­ology
is unique, in that designers Peter
Strateas and Mario-Luca Carlucci use
opposing forms and meld them into a
neo-industrial structural hybrid. This
is the result of taking geometric shapes
and sculpting them through an origami
approach of folds, cuts and twists to or­ganic
forms, which the designers coin
as ‘Metron-morphosis’. Their summer
’15 collection, Fracture, clearly delivered their
vision, with every garment giving the impres­sion
of being hand-crafted, unique and ex­clusive,
featuring interesting fabrics, superb
craftsmanship and sublime structures and fit.
I am only not sure if this was meant to be a
summer or a winter collection, as heavy lay­ering
and thick jumpers were a feature. The
tailoring was sublime and my favourite outfit
was a skirt with a complicated, layered bustle,
paired with a stunning leather jacket.
Gail Sorronda
Gail Sorronda has managed to elicit inter­national
interest since the inception of her
eponymous label in 2005 and has a signature
of dark romance.
Her summer 2015 collection departed a bit
from what I was expecting, though I still saw
a lot of volume, layering, frills and ethereal
materials. Crisp and vivacious prints on casu­al
wear, some really directional, voluminous
garments featuring vertical pleats, hounds­tooth
and banding of colours in a single gar­ment
were featured throughout the collec­tion.
My favourites remain more within her
usual signature, a beautiful “artist’s” shirt in
Kahlo
Ellery
Ellery
Ellery
Strateas Carlucci,
backstage
Alex Perry: Lucas Dawson Photography; Kahlo: Matthew Woodward
33/2014 lucire 49

5. white organza and a gorgeous little
black dress with delicate, textural
detailing.
Phoenix Keating
Phoenix Keating has captured the
imagination of international press
and even of Lady Gaga’s stylists
(during her impromptu perfor­mances
in Sydney in 2011) with his
undeniably idiosyncratic and daring
styles. One thing I can say of Keat­ing
is that he cares about expressing
himself rather than following the
flock. The name of his spring–sum­mer
2014–15 collection, presented
on the runway on Monday, La
Diosa de Oro (the golden goddess),
was the nickname for the first fe­male
bullfighter, Conchita Citron.
The collection draws its inspira­tion
from a matador’s traje de luces.
While keeping the Phoenix Keating
æsthetic, La Diosa de Oro explores a
Spanish flavour to garments whilst using his
signature 1950s silhouette, which Phoenix ex­plained
came from leafing through old Vogue
magazines from that era. It truly was a feast
of colour, unusual fabric choices and even
led lighting.
By Johnny
Johnny Schembri is, deservedly, an award
winning designer. The By Johnny spring–
summer 2014–15 collection, entitled Spectrum,
was one of the most anticipated of the week
and covered innovative design via fabrications,
textures and techniques based on Schembri’s
signature minimalist design æsthetic of struc­ture,
body contouring, geometric sculptur­ing
and bold graphics. Spectrum explores the
idea of light, shade and shape—utilizing the
fine female form to highlight new fitting cuts.
The colour combinations were unusual but
worked well. I just loved a dress with a fitted
white top with cut out on the midriff and a
skirt featuring diagonal stripes in black, or­ange
and white.
Michael Lo Sordo
I bumped into Michael Lo Sordo after his
show at the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge and
asked him about his collection and the inspi­ration
behind it. He told me that the collec­tion
was all about the woman. Softness, ease
of wear, pieces that women can be proud of
for many years to come.
Michael Lo Sordo
Michael Lo Sordo Michael Lo Sordo
Toni Maticevski Toni Maticevski
Toni Maticevski
Michael Lo Sordo: Wendell Teodoro/mediaidem.com.au
50 lucire 33/2014

6. A combination of soft silks, snakeskin and
merino, featuring gelati colours, the runway
line-up gave you the impression of being at a
six-star resort, somewhere in the Ægean. His
exquisite but relaxed tailoring came through
all garments and there were some unusually
shaped lapels that I loved. A shirt is a shirt
but not when Michael Lo Sordo creates one!
Crisp and at the same time soft and flow­ing,
the collection epitomized Lo Sordo’s
expert draping and beautiful tailoring. He
achieved his goal of creating a range that is
effortlessly sexy. He mused that Australian
fashion is growing strong and this event is
an outstanding opportunity to showcase his
range internationally, and I look forward to
the next stages of his progress.
We Are Handsome
According to the label (an idea that is a lullaby
to my heart): ‘every now and then something
comes along that changes us. A shift that af­fects
every corner of our world, our entire
being. The moment that defines the rest of
our lives. That special someone whose eyes
speak volumes of truth. The place where the
sun rises from the sea, and creates a canvas
to make your mark. The heirloom that pro­vides
protection and comfort from the perils
of the world. We call this the catalyst. Seeking
out truth and beauty, the change we search
for may come from within, but always is pro­found.
A single moment in time is all that’s
needed to realize what needs to change, and
how to take that next step. Through intuition
and hard work we all seek our catalyst —that
which puts on a new path, the journey to our
destiny.’
Jeremy and Katinka Somers’s Catalyst col­lection
was presented at a very original, out­doors
location, the Sydney Reservoir, in Pad­dington.
Those who took the bus to watch
the show were rewarded with a playful col­lection
of swimwear and resort-wear, featur­ing
animal prints, literally, prints of animals:
zebra, tiger, snake. Delightful, very Sydney,
very fresh. Even the yellow Burmese python
that made an appearance, draped on a model,
seemed to think so.
Cameo
Cameo has an impressive following around
the world and is stocked in a multitude of
outlets, nationally and internationally. Its
main trait is being youthful, directional and
attainable, a clever move in the current fash­ion
climate.
The collection showcasing at mbfwa is ti­tled
Optics and is inspired by the refraction of
light, This concept is explored with the use of
prisms, shapes, holographic prints and neon
colours.
It featured a juxtaposition of relaxed
resort-wear in fluid materials, more tailored
and classic frocks featuring peplums, drop
shoulders and a succession of really interest­ingly
cut skirts with insertions in contrasting,
printed materials, with layering of sheer over
Michael Lo Sordo
Toni Maticevski Toni Maticevski
33/2014 lucire 51

7. fashion
print. My favourite piece in this collection
prowess and ability to concoct a delightful
was a little white dress, made of lace.
collection of shapes harmoniously in a sin­gle
garment. Always complicated to achieve,
Toni Maticevski
never heavy to behold. Just sheer beauty.
Since the launch of Toni Maticevski in 1999,
The runway collection featured his signa­ture
drive and vision has seen this talented de­signer
architectural flounces, the mix of sheer
gracefully continue to achieve and
and solid fabrics and voluminous skirts remi­niscent
evolve the Maticevski brand, which in reward
of Dior skirts of the 1950s, paired
has earned him the role of one of the most
with fitted bodices. My favourite was a black
successful and talented Australian designers.
dress that had an unusual, asymmetric cut
Since his fashion week début in 2002, Mati­cevski
around the neckline. White, black and black-and-
has gone on to present his collections
white print predominated but there was
in Paris, London and New York.
a splash of colour as well. A stunningly styled
Maticevski is all about architecture, crafts­manship
show, the music put you in the mood for the
with mannequins suspended by hooks and
and the feminine form. Exquisite
romance that followed. In love.
chains from above. For whatever reason,
tailoring and layering speak volumes of his
many of the garments and the collection as Unif.m
Founded by a small class of Sydney creatives,
Uniform Studios Sydney launched with the
simple mission of reinventing everyday wear.
Unif.m garments are developed to integrate
seamlessly into an existing wardrobe and
create a strong foundation. Defined by its
craftsmanship, Unif.m fuses materials and
techniques traditionally used for industry-grade
uniforms with leather, silk and jersey,
to create pieces that have a sense of refined
ease and subtle luxury.
Simplicty was the feature of this collection,
but being a chatterbox to anyone, I have
heard (from a little bird) that they are firmly
in the eye of an American talent scout, so the
limit for this consortium may well be the sky!
Romance Was Born
Romance Was Born have an amazing capac­ity
for turning out exquisitely crafted clothes
that go beyond trends and are recognizable
worldwide. They’ve embarked upon col­laborations
with Australia’s finest artists and
retailers, including Archibald prize-winning
artist Del Kathryn Barton, and clothing giant
Sportsgirl. This allows the designers, Luke
Sales and Anna Plunkett, creative licence to
explore their own artisan capabilities, with
breathtaking results.
Their creations are highly idiosyncratic
and have a signature so strong that you can­not
fail but know it was produced by them.
This year, their spring–summer 2014–15 col­lection
was presented in an installation form,
Romance Was Born
We Are Handsome
We Are Handsome We Are Handsome
We Are Handsome
We Are Handsome: Lucas Dawson Photography
52 lucire 33/2014

8. We Are Handsome

9. a whole reminded me of Tolstoy’s Anna
Karenina. Very colourful and original, it
is hard to pick a single piece from the col­lection
as a favourite.
The Innovators
The Innovators’ show featured the work
of several recent graduates from the Ul­timo
tafe school of fashion, carefully
selected as promising future stars. I am
always delighted to see fashion, which is,
like the name indicates, truly innovative
and unrestrained by commercial reality.
However, most of the garments were
highly wearable.
Irish girl Claire Nolan opened the show
with a very vibrant collection including bold
use of colour, cuts exposing skin and prints.
These kids show promise, as they already
demonstrate prowess in material manipula­tion,
with expert draping and pleating seen
in several of the collections, as well as innova­tive
ideas: some of the dresses were held by
translucent rods joining shoulders and other
parts of the garment.
Ae’lkemi
This was an ethereal show that opened with
blood red outfits and followed with black
and white. Lacy, translucent gowns sashayed
down the runway, with one of my favourites
being a silver white gown with delicate verti­cal
frills on the hip area, resembling feathers,
and a white poncho worn as a dress with ex­quisite
detailing on the back. See-through lace
gowns and sets were present,
and beautiful. My only com­ment
would be that totally
see-through garments on
nude bodies are not really
likely to be worn by many
women. I may have liked
them even more if nude lin­ing
had been applied to the
gowns in some strategic
areas. By and large, glamor­ous,
delicate, feminine.
Aje
Whenever I am going to see
an Aje show, I expect an un­forgettable
experience and
they never fail to deliver and
exceed expectations. Aje’s
show was An Ode to Osa
Aje: Kierra Thorn/mediaidem.com.au; Ae’lkemi: Cheyne Tillier-Daly
continued on p. 144
fashion
Aje
Aje
Ae’lkemi
Ae’lkemi
54 lucire 33/2014

10. Speaking to the soul
Attending Aurelio Costarella’s show
during mbafw was one of the highlights of my fash­ion
year.
I was given the outstanding opportunity to meet
Costarella and brand manager Paul O’Connor in per­son,
at their suite in Surry Hills, where I was able to
appreciate the collection and touch the garments: for
us creatives, touch is such an important tool, especially
for those who relish the texture and richness and want
to show many the layers to their work. Costarella’s
style speaks to my soul as he has a love for creating rich,
timeless pieces with a contemporary edge and the collec­tions
always tell a memorable story.
If I had loved what I saw coming out on the catwalk,
touching and seeing the garments first-hand brought
my appreciation to a completely new dimension. The
amazing quality of the workmanship and exquisite detail
applied to each garment was awe-inspiring. It was su­perbly
well-tailored and crafted, with a mastery in cut and
manufacture that is rarely seen nowadays.
To meet the mastermind of these memorable pieces in
person was humbling, for Costarella has no airs and graces
and is absolutely down-to-earth.
I do not honestly think that any of Costarella’s pieces
would be out of place alongside pieces created for famous
operas and ballets by the late Gianni Versace, or any other
of the European greats. Driven by the design process,
each thematic collection is an exploration, a journey that
moves seamlessly from one season to the next. A focus
on textile development, detailed cutting and quality
craftsmanship set the Aurelio Costarella brand apart.
With a distinctive handwriting that ranges from trade-mark
delicate silk chiffon gowns to intricate handcrafted beadwork,
embroidery and sharp tailoring, the Aurelio Costarella brand is a
luxurious offering. Costarella explained
that each colour way used in any of his
collections is exclusive to his label and
silks and other materials are especially
dyed from the yarn for him by specialist
fabric suppliers.
I asked him how did he discover his
passion for fashion and he explained that
his family was one of Italian immigrants
during the ’50s, and one of the items that his
grandmother had brought from home was an
old pedal-powered Singer machine, an item
of much fun and experimentation over the
years. Though Costarella actually trained as
an architect, fashion had a greater pull in the
end and he launched the eponymous label at
Australian Fashion Week in 2000, with his first
piece having been, years before that, a white
halter created for one of his friends and sewn on
the ancestral Singer.
Since then, the Aurelio Costarella brand has
built a strong following with a loyal celebrity cli­entèle,
worn and admired by international stars
including Rihanna, Dita von Teese, Naya Rivera,
Nicole Scherzinger, Keri Hilson, Melissa George,
Dannii Minogue and Tina Arena. Costarella
has also been the recipient of prestigious inter­national
awards and has had a presence at New
York Fashion Week and G’Day usa since 2006,
and his work was showcased at Shanghai World
Expo in 2010.
For stockists both in Australia and New Zea­land
and to view Aurelio’s fabulous collections, visit www.aureliocos
tarella.com. •
Viviana Pannell
speaks to one of
her favourites from
Australian Fashion
Week, Aurelio Cos-tarella

11. last words
Sydney’s easy
summer spirit
continued from p. 52
Johnson, the first woman explorer of Africa—
an installation in the Theatre, with a central
stage featuring a large safari tent and models
languidly standing and sitting around. There
were many highly wearable garments and a
stand-out black lace trouser and blouse set
that I want to own right now. Glamorous and
sexy but with the right balance of coverage to
make it highly wear­able.
A green leather
jacket also stood
out—beautifully cut
and tailored. The de­signers
were greet­ing
guests at the
back of the tent and
Viviana Pannell is
Sydney correspondent for
Lucire.
they were their usual selves, relaxed, happy,
warm, down-to-earth. The atmosphere was
MAO’S MOA
MONDAY
evocative of exact­ly
the story they were try­ing
to tell with this beautiful collection. Viva
Aje! And may their dreamy creativity bring us
endless collections to love and cherish.
The buzz
Being one of the lucky ones able to enjoy
the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, I had the
outstanding opportunity to mingle with styl­ists,
designers, celebrities and media. It was
refreshing to hear stories from the designers
themselves and also meet some of the peo­ple
in the background who make their col­lections
possible. Phoe­nix
Keating is a warm
and un-assuming guy who welcomes you to
talk and puts you at ease immediately. I had a
nice conversation with him and also bumped
into celebrity stylists Joshua Heath and Josh
Finn (ex-Australia’s Next Top Model). Always
great to exchange impressions with them:
Heath was, of course, epitomizing the man­ner
in which a trendy male ought to dress,
without crossing the Zoolander line of spoof
fashion, and Finn was sweetly dressed with a
great printed poncho by Camilla, which only
he, as a guy, can do justice to. I was pleased
to meet the leather man of fashion here, Juan
Valdes, of Chilean decent and leather tailor
to celebrities, high-end designers and a col­laborator
even to the latest Star Wars movies.
We joked that South Americans are like God:
they are everywhere!
An after-party wrapped the week at Hu­go’s
DOUBLE
HAPPINESS
Moa on tap $6
+ dumplings $15
2 for 1 cocktails
every Tuesday, house cocktails only
Lounge in Kings Cross, well attended
by models and stylists, and featured rivers of
Mumm, espresso Martinis and anything that
the heart could desire in terms of drink. A
moment to let your hair down after a gruel­ling
but delightful four days of shows. •
Uncovering the genesis
continued from p. 33
realizing how intricate the development pro­cess
is, and learning that details are crucial in
the piece’s value.
Diamond cutters and lapidaries (special­ists
focused on cutting all stones other than
diamonds) grade a piece according to the
four Cs: carat, clarity (in terms of investigat­ing
the presence of inclusions), colour and
cut. Stones are categorized under precious
(diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald), fine
(clear and transparent pieces) and ornamen­tal
(more opaque stones).
L’École Van Cleef & Arpels encour­ages
people to learn that there is more to
the brand’s jewellery pieces than just their
physical appeal; a specific protocol is fol­lowed
in order to achieve their enviable
appearance. The course reveals a mixture
of invigorating discussions and hands-on
practice, with the overall experience
shedding a light on just how the company
arrives at such flawless pieces. •
WINE WEDNESDAY
glass of mystery wine $6
try your luck!
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