Last week saw Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week hit Sydney, Australia showcasing the industry's top talent. This year saw a bit of a reinvention with a change of location for the event from Sydney Harbour to Carriageworks, a former rail yard now regarded as an arts and culture hub. Welcoming nearly 2,000 delegates to watch the 66 established and emerging designers presenting 52 shows, this fashion week was the biggest yet.

The show was streamed live for the first time which proved to be a huge success with over 20,000 people tuning in from over 77 countries. This year there was a strong emphasis on showing the world that as much as Australia still produces what its known best for; its laid back easy going fashion and sexy swimwear, designers have turned up the edge to show they are also influencer and inspirer of cutting edge world fashion.

The move to the disused rail yard saw designers sending there models down catwalks surrounded by concrete walls, air-conditioning ducts, scaffolding and floor grills, giving this year's fashion week a much different vibe to that of the previous location at Sydney Harbour.

Here are some highlights from the week featuring top designers and up and coming starts to look out for.

Camilla

My favourite show was definitely that of Camilla Franks, who decided to step away from the new location and show her latest collection in Sydney's Centennial Park. With the models walking bare foot under teepee tents surrounded by beautiful flowers, a bonfire and even a lama it was the perfect setting for her bohemian, tribal inspired collection of floaty dresses, kaftans and swimwear. Model of the moment Georgia May Jagger also made a rear catwalk appearance adding a youthful rock spirit to the line. The collection was a feast for the eyes with bold brightly coloured patterns, statement jewellery and unique hats and headpieces.


Photo: Splash


Photo: Splash

Christopher Esber

This show was set in a storage warehouse which added a raw edge to the line. The clothes were minimalist with clean crisp lines and Esber stuck to his normal palette of monochrome with a splash of blue and grey. While choosing not to experiment with colour, you can see his love of different textures, working with textile weaving specialists to create futuristic fabric mash-ups like invisible mesh panelling.


Photograpger Brendon Thorne

Camilla & Marc

Celebrating their tenth anniversary at Australia Fashion week brother and sister duo Camilla & Marc put on a lively show with amazing music and a great set. The show was full of their trademark suits and sports luxe separates featuring beautiful silk blouses, sexy pencil skirts and striking sleeveless jackets. Camilla & Marc stuck mainly to the monochrome trend but added colour with some stunning gold pieces, adding edge with some daring designs including a completely see through lace dress.


Photographer Brendon Thorne

We Are Handsome

A favourite swimwear brand of Rihanna, We are Handsome brought us their new highly anticipated collection and it wasn't a disappointment. If you love bright fun prints then this line is definitely for you. With themes such as lions, giraffes, foxes and shrubbery it was a visual feast for the eyes and will definitely get you noticed at the beach. Adding a fun flair to the show some models took to bicycles to make their way down the runway!


Photographer Lucas Dawson


Photographer Lucas Dawson

Aje

I loved the Aje show which saw models emerging from smoke on a pitch black runway with overhanging branches. A great contract to the mainly white collection of sexy short dresses perfect to bring you from day to night in summer. There were also some beautiful little jackets perfect for the chilly spring evenings (yes they even get them in Australia!) and stunning floaty maxi dresses just perfect for covering up in the hot sun.


Photographer Brendon Thorne

Written by Rose Humble 

Once a secret among London's fashion insiders, April 27th brings us Buymywardrobe's 20th event, live at the stunning Kensington Rooftop Gardens in London. If you are a fan of a designer bargain then this is definitely for you. With the opportunity to raid the wardrobes of over 30 stylish ladies with a perfect mix of designer and high street pieces on offer this is one event not to be missed!

With pieces from designers including Stella McCartney, Mulberry and Christian Louboutin there are plenty of great bargains to be snapped up, a perfect chance to make a start to your summer wardrobe.



As an added bonus there is also going to be an exclusive bloggers area where you can enjoy a sneaky peak into the wardrobes of some of the UK's top fashion bloggers. Names include Poopy D of What I Wore Today, Ella Catliffe of La Petite Anglaise, Monica Welburn of The Elgin Avenue and my personal favourite Ruth Crilly of A Model Recommends.

Not content just to set up a fabulous afternoon of shopping, the kind people at Buymywardrobe.com have included makeovers, complimentary eye-brow threading, champagne, goody bags, an outdoor BBQ and a DJ. So you can sit back after your shopping spree and enjoy some great food, drink and music whilst being pampered and enjoy the beautiful view of the sprawling gardens. What more could you ask for!

So rally up your girlfriends and get yourself tickets to this exclusive event.

When : Saturday 27th of April, 2013 from 12-4pm Where: 99 Kensington High Street, W8 Tickets: Standard tickets are £5 (entry at 1pm) VIP tickets are £20 (includes early entry at 12pm, glass of champagne and goody bag).

Click here to get your tickets now!



The company's great idea of recycling the wardrobes of stylish ladies began back in 2008. With exclusive events set up were women could buy and sell the pre-loved contents of their enviable wardrobes to the public. The combination of amazing fashion, champagne, goody bags and makeovers, all in the city's most stylish locations was a huge success.

The amazing idea captured the London fashionista's and since then the company has gone from strength to strength with the opening of www.buymywardrobe.com, a chic online space where you can browse what's available by a particular category or by seller. The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity and seller memberships are only given out after being approved by the company's top style and fashion experts. Buyers can follow their favourite sellers for an easy way to keep up to date with new posts and newsletters and alerts make sure you never miss a thing. The website is super easy to use and is a great social media platform to meet likeminded people. Buymywardrobe also opened a pre-loved fashion boutique last year in London's West End so those of you who prefer to do your purchasing in person don't have to miss out!



Written By Rose Humble 

I was invited to attend a coffee morning with Felicities PR . The press event was held at the company's new location in Shoreditch, London. I arrived at the showroom on a windy, not to mention rainy Thursday morning. I was greeted with a hot cup of black coffee which I was very happy to see considering I was hardly awake.

Although the weather was responsible for my somewhat grumpy demeanor I am happy to say the PR girls were very bubbly and eager to show me around the showroom before I put my bag down. After putting away my umbrella and shaking off what was left of the artic chill I made my way around the beautiful displays. At first glance I would have thought I was in a modern day Aladdin's Cave. There were so many jewels, garments. and props. Each of the designer's sections were well presented and appropriately grouped.

I was shown around by two of the company's PR girls who took me through garments, lookbooks, labels and jewellery.

I was very interested to see the work of Ada Zanditon. I have been following her career and have always been impressed by her garment production , structure and use of illustrated images. I recently read about her collection in Berlin and I wanted to see it for myself.

It's been highlighted that the vision of the brand is to create elegant sculptural womenswear that is embellished with Zanditon's illustrations.There is a certain confidence and boldness that translates when it comes to Zanditon's pieces. The use of the colours and fabric and the odd eccentric addition (which includes donated monk's hair) make the finished product futuristic and unique.

Pieces are carefully constructed and each concept appears to be that of an individual thought. It is said that a wide range of sustainable textiles are sourced and products are produced in the United Kingdom.

For more on Ada Zanditon's work please see the Felicities website: www.felicities.co.uk

Another brand that I came across was Little Shilpa. I must admit I was unfamiliar with the work of Shilpa Chavan however she has now gained a life long fan in me. From exotic headpieces to the very popular bowties, Little Shipa is a brand of epic proportions. The influence of the brand is taken from the designer's own environment and is heavily influenced by the world around her. Shilpa, born in Mumbai, describes her brand as a collection of influences from East and West. With clientele that has included the likes of Lady Gaga as well as coverage from editorial powerhouse Vogue the is no doubt that Little Shipa will make a lasting impression in the world of creative brands.

For more on Shilpa Chavan's work please see the Felicities website: www.felicities.co.uk

Zanditon and Chavan's work were two of my favourites however Felicities PR represent a range of creative artists, designers and experts in millinery. See below for more images from the Felicities PR showroom:


Ada Zanditon


Little Shilpa


Mr Wood's


David Longshaw

Written By Sherry Tagoe