Romance Was Born & Del Kathryn Barton present...'Garden of Eden'

Last night Romance Was Born created the Garden of Eden showcasing fabrics in collaboration with one of Australia's most prominent contemporary artists Del Kathryn Barton at the Kaliman Gallery at 56 Sutherland Street in Paddington (pictured above in centre Luke Sales, Del Kathryn Barton and Anna Plunkett with models from the show).

Guests of the Kaliman Gallery, Romance Was Born and Del Kathryn Barton as well as high profile media were treated to an eye popping fashion show in the intimate gallery surrounds as models catwalked one off pieces designed by Romance Was Born for the exhibition.

Hair was directed by Lores Giglio of Brad Nagata and Hair by Nicola Burford at M.A.C. Senior Artist Nicola Burford of M.A.C directed the makeup for the show and explains the look, “The inspiration for the makeup is really a continuation of the fantastical Garden of Eden that is Romance Was Born’s clothing and Del Kathryn Barton’s imagery. By using the same colour palette and placement on the face and body we ultimately bring their collaborative art to life.”

The show will open to the public on the 8th of 9th of February at the Kaliman Gallery and then moves onto Melbourne as part of the Loreal Melbourne Fashion Festival cultural program at the National Design Centre from March 7-May 7, 2008

Romance Was Born will also appear in the LMFF Oyster show on Friday 7th March at 6.30pm.

www.romancewasborn.com

Garden of Eden

A collaborative exhibition of work from past and present with 12 new one off designs from Romance was Born featuring prints from Del Kathryn Barton who introduces a new body of work. Garden of Eden includes installations of giant objects (fruits and garden of eden inspired pieces) by Romance was Born.

February 7th-9th, 2008
Kaliman Gallery, Sydney

March 7th – May 7th, 2008
(Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program)
National Design Centre, Melbourne

Wool Matters

Metalicus the masters of layering, introduce new Wool blends for Autumn Winter 2008 into their collection of fashion bodywear basics.

Luxury prevails in Metalicus Wool, as pieces add depth and dimension in fine, heavy and textured styles. 'Zig Zag' and 'Gladiator' styles including tanks, tops, jackets and dresses take Wool to the next level with chunky stripe, zig zag textures and shapely cuts.

Metalicus Wool is made from a blend of high quality, super soft Merino wool and two-way stretch nylon. Every piece in the collection is luxurious, lightweight, breathable and trans-seasonal. Fabrications and specialist dying techniques ensure that the Metalicus Wool designs and colour palette is absolutely unique to the brand worldwide.

NEWS: Metalicus is showing at Loreal Melbourne Fashion Festival with a solo show on the 4th March at 9am. Following the recent opening of their Chapel Street store Metalicus is planning a store in Sydney CBD to open over the coming months.

www.metalicus.com

Don't Mind if I Do

The fourth offering for ANT!PODiUM is a collection of fresh, subverted classics that cleverly combine 1930s and 1980s notions of style and relaxed glamour.

True to the brand’s aesthetic of confident simplicity spliced with humour and innovative contrasts, ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’ is a careful edit of feminine frills and adroit drapery set against the sharp geometry of double-breasted detailing, jaunty shoulder pads, preppy pleats, and delightfully foppish sporting and nautical touches. The look is chicly slouchy and self-assuredly smart in equal measure.

NEWS JUST IN: Geoffrey J. Finch, designer for ANT!PODiUM is 25, untrained has just been nominated for the New Designer Award to be announced at Loreal Melbourne Fashion Festival in March 2008. ANT!PODiUM is in the Paris Runway 5 Show on 5th March at 8.30pm showing alongside labels including Karen Walker and Zambesi.

Jump up, jump up and get down.

Cheap Monday, the label synonymous with offbeat Swedish style, skin-tight denim, and an audacious approach to price, are bringing 80s funky-fresh flavour, and naughty 90s neon back to the block this season.

Cheap Monday challenges with an undeniable edge and frivolous flair that sees winter mainstays reshaped, and adheres to their legacy of affordable, on-trend, off-kilter designs.

Their ubiquitous denim line that revolutionised the denim market with decent, well-fitting, cheap jeans has evolved and extrapolated since its origins; with a huge range of styles in an array of washes, the range now comprises of well over 40 combinations!

Their adventurous and always fresh fashion range, priced to match, ups its game this season too, with an individual, cheeky collection, bursting with attitude.

New line for Cheap Monday

Costume yourself in Kostym, the suave, savvy and introspective new diffusion range from purveyors of affordable, offbeat style, Cheap Monday.

Literally meaning suit in Swedish, this latest dark steed from the Cheap Monday stable takes an elusively elegant, tailored approach to apparel for ladies and gents.

Structure is poetic and strong in this well-groomed range, and staples are a rebellious take on refinement.

An ode to the early 80’s Manchester punk and gothic rock scene and Joy Division’s tortured genius lead singer Ian Curtis, the collection has a haunting lyricism and polished, post-punk aesthetic.

Image courtesy of Dazed & Confused – Kostym by Cheap Monday Mod Jacket (far left)

Bringing earnest back...

As American as apple pie, and as iconic as, well, blue jeans, New York label Earnest Sewn is the premium denim saviour bringing earnest, uncompromising integrity back and reviving the fading mystique of the craft of jeans-making.

At the pulpit is jeans-purist, President and Designer Scott Morrison, whose unprecedented dedication to quality, authenticity and workmanship results in a denim line that’s fit and finished to perfection, with a vintage, lived in look, and a bespoke, second-skin feel.

An A-list cast of celeb followers attest their devotion to the label with names including Katie Holmes, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Sienna Miller, Natalie Portman, Kirsten Dunst (as pictured), Kiefer Sutherland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, along with models Karolina Kurkova and Jessica Stam, all religiously sporting Earnest jeans.

www.earnestsewn.com

House of Capes

Draped in mystery, and caped in glory, the latest offering for Autumn Winter 2008 from designers Monika Tywanek and Ingrid Verner channels vintage sportswear, daring, high-end street, and screen-siren glamour.

Frills flit on structured frames, free-form volume reinvigorates classic chic, pared-back ballet grace lends an air of thoughtful simplicity, and organic shapes in natural cotton and macramé knits impart a more natural glow.

Pairing the unique TV brand of sophisticated street with top-notch knits, streamlined silhouette basics and elegant-meets-edgy dress-ups, ‘House Of Capes’ is at times dark and elusive, and at times wholesome and fresh.

With the recent opening of the TV flagship store in Prahran, a prestigious stockist list in Australia including The Corner Shop, Orson & Blake, Incu, Cactus Jam, Alice Euphemia, Fat, Digging for Apples, Natalie Denning and Dilettante (where they hang alongside international designers Vivienne Westwood, Jens Laugesen, Lutz and Tsumori Chisato) this dynamic duo are ones to watch.

Stay tuned.

Classic Heavy Metal

Referencing dark gothic history, biometric futurism and renaissance couture, William Llewellyn Griffiths is both a craftsman jeweller and innovative artisan.

His designs are a potent cocktail of stones, metals and gems, hand-worked into intricate pieces that have an allure of danger, romance and unholy reverence.

William has a developed a distinct signature which has led to collaborations with designers Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood and exhibitions of his work throughout Europe, the USA, Japan and Australia. High profile clients including Angelina Jolie, Marilyn Manson, Billy Idol, Guns n Roses and Ali G followed as well as commissions for films The Crow, Batman Forever, and the recently released 30 Days Of Night.

NEWS: WLG is currently working on a new body of work stemming from his ‘Cathedral’ rings (as pictured on left) which will be unveiled alongside his collection which will exhibited in Melbourne and Sydney in May during Australian Fashion Week.