The final day of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week has begun with a 9am runway presentation by Melbourne-based brand Toni Maticevski.
Swimwear label Lisa Maree hits the catwalk at 10am with a collection titled “Under My Skin”, which has been inspired by the feminine spirit, Africa and the Serengeti sunrise.
This season sees designer Lisa Maree zone in on warm hues, rusts and prints for the spring/summer range of her eponymous label, with a strong focus also on crochet swimwear and cut-out styles.
“This is probably our most exciting collection to date,” Maree said.
“Last year we did the Group Swim Show at RAFW. And there is some big differences in summer 11/12 compared to summer 10/11. Firstly, there are many more styles in the resort wear category. Last season we also focused on silk kaftans, this season we have everything from jumpsuits to maxi dresses, capes, shorts, kaftans, harem pants and skirts. The other major difference is the introduction of a lycra swimwear category. Delegates will notice a big difference in the range.”
Ms Couture will show at 11am, followed by the Raffles International Showcase at 12pm, featuring creations by Australian and international graduate designers.
Archit Agarwal from New Delhi, India, Byron McGilvray from Byron Bay, Australia, Erin Loh from Singapore, and Peggy Hartanto and Winson Tan from Sydney, Australia, will debut their collections.
Other highlights for the day include the New Generation 1 group, showing at the Oversas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay at 2.30pm, Christoher Esber at The Cargo Theatre at 3.30pm, followed by the New Generation 2 showcase, including new entrants Del Playa Drive and Jaime Lee.
Jaime Lee collaborated with Los Angeles latex designer Abigail Greydanus to create some of the pieces for her spring/summer “Pollination” collection, and garments in the 12-piece range are both heavily embellished and textural.
“Pollination includes my signature digital prints on silks and natural fibres which I have worked into with sequins, beads, lace and swarovski crystals,” Lee said.
“The silhouettes are lady like with high necklines, and the Jaime Lee for Abigaill Greydanus latex pieces also feature a hand-cut honeycomb print and a gold honey colour palette.”
Designer Bowie Wong will close the final day of Fashion Week with a 42-piece collection he describes as “by far the best” of his creations.
The Bowie spring/summer 2011 collection, titled “Paper Crane, is made up entirely of dresses with structured silhouettes, using silk as the core fabric. The gowns are heavily embellished with intricate detailing using crystals and beads, with and hand-origamied sequins giving the range its name.
“It took me nine months to finish this collection, so it's a full-on,” Wong said. “But it will be incredible, I believe this is by far the best of my creations.”