Following a long but exciting day on Monday, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia continued on Tuesday.
Bec and Bridge was easily the stand out of day two. Design duo Becky Cooper and Bridge Yorston have worked hard to perfect contoured lines and sleek silhouettes to create a distinct signature style that is easily recognisable. Bec and Bridge celebrate the 15th anniversary of the brand with this fun, colourful collection that all women will want to wear.
Gary Bigeni was also a highlight of the first half of the day. Established in 2003, the Sydney based designer has showcased eight seasons on the MBFWA runway.
With a reputation for masterful drape, striking silhouettes and a sophisticated use of colour, Bigeni punctuates his seasonal collections with artist collaborations for prints, which have included Matthew Johnson, Eduardo Santos and Marie Hagerty.
But first, the day kicked off with Katama by Garrett Neff showing at Andrew Boy Charlton Pool.
Designed by Delaware native Garrett Neff who is a model and entrepreneur, Garrett made the natural leap to launch his own brand in 2015 by combining his knowledge of the fashion market with the spirit of his active life growing up in the Northeast United States.
His career boasts countless highlights -- from appearing on the covers of GQ, Details, V Man, VOGUE Paris, Numéro Homme and L'Officiel Hommes, to shooting with legends such as Bruce Weber, Steven Meisel and Peter Lindbergh. He has also walked for Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors and Salvatore Ferragamo. His all-American look also landed him back-to-back Calvin Klein advertising campaigns.
Next up was Macgraw, bringing fun, print and colour. Designers Beth and Tessa MacGraw launched their label in April 2012 and the sister duo have since carved their place in the Australian designer landscape with signature in-house prints and a keen eye for beautiful fabrications in wearable silhouettes.
Their colourful personality has also garnered the attention of celebs including Lorde, Coco Rocha and Julianne Moore. In March 2016, Macgraw was the recipient of the prestigious Tiffany & Co. National Designer Award. This is their fourth year showing at MBFWA.
The St George NextGen show is designed to nurture and promote young Australian talent to both a local and global audience, showcasing a selection of up-and-coming designers.
An influential panel of fashion industry experts review the applicants based on the exceptional talent designers have already demonstrated as well as the capacity for future growth in the fashion industry.
Included this year was Isabelle Quinn, Meredith Bullen, Sarah Hope Schofield, Stephanie Henly and Victoria Bliss.
Roopa Pemmaraju is a luxury womenswear label by designers Roopa Pemmaraju and Sudhir Swain, whose designs boast a contemporary fusion of art and design for relaxed ready-to-wear collection.
Each garment is designed by artisans with time-proven methods in print, knit, and embroidery. Blending ancient and modern techniques, their manufacturing process is done by hand, making each piece truly unique.
Hansen and Gretel is easy to spot. The brand's signature styling can be recognised through pairing sporty separates with sophisticated style classics. Focusing on womenswear and occasional leather accessories, Hansen describes her subculturally diverse brand as 'lifestyle-based, offering the feel of high-end luxury items in a slick interpretation of streetwear'. This will be their debut MBFWA show, showcasing their 6th collection.
The brand created a capsule collection of a curated six pieces will be available to buy on the same day as their show, David Jones, ahead of its official October release day.
The Active Collective Showcase features six brands which offer more casual leisurewear and sporting clothes. labels incuded Huntrlnd, Tully Lou, Tone Fitness, L'urv, Nimble and Seafolly.
Next up was Pageant. Having previously worked for iconic labels such as Christopher Shannon, Christopher Kane and Perks and Mini (P.A.M), Amanda Cumming and Kate Reynolds established their independent fashion label PAGEANT in 2010.
Finalists in the BT Emerging Designer Awards 2015 and 2016, winners of the prestigious Tiffany & Co National Designer Award 2015 and with an established cult following and growing buzz in Australia, Pageant is steadily garnering worldwide attention.
Zambesi showed in the early evening. Founded by Elisabeth and Neville Findlay in 1979, the brand possesses a consistent and unique signature and is proudly made in New Zealand.
Not just clothing, the brand also offers a renge of accessories including belts, bags, hats, scarves, wallets and footwear and eyewear. Celeb fans incude Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Lorde, Kimbra, Danielle Cormack and Rihanna. Zambesi return to the MBFWA schedule after five years.
Second last to show on Tuesday was Michael Lo Sordo. Lo Sordo takes great care in ensuring that each aspect of the Michael Lo Sordo label is in keeping with its sophisticated and luxurious designs. The innovation in his garments reflects his consistent efforts to not only expand his own vision but the vision of his wearers.
Celeb fans include Kim Kardashian, Solange Lara Worthington, Shanina Shaik, Elle Macpherson, Alexandra Agoston, Jessica Gomes and Nicole Warne.
Closing Tuesday was Australian designer Christopher Esber, who established his eponymous brand in 2010. Since founding his label in Sydney, Esber is recognised for his red carpet dressing, creating collections with precision tailoring and the mixing of masculine and feminine codes. He recently debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2017.
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