TV denim styles champion a bold elegance and self-assured sass.
Over-dyed, pre-washed denims duel in a monochrome palette: Starkest White vs Thundercloud Grey. Waists shoot sky high to nudge the ribcage, while legs are streamlined javelin slim. For those cheering on the sidelines, a front-zipping denim pinafore is sweetly dirndl-like with an angular futuristic bent (think The Sound of Music meets Barbarella).
Available in Indigo, Black and Acid Wash in styles: Short Sleeve Denim Jacket retail $320, High Waisted Jean retail $264 and Denim Pinafore retail $300.
TV denim is stocked from September in select boutiques across Australia including Orson & Blake, Incu, Alice Euphemia, Fat, Digging for Apples, Bam & JuJu and Dilettante. Also available at the TV flagship store:
2A Cecil Place Prahran Victoria 03 9525 0355.
www.t-v.net.au
Shining brightly out of Melbourne, Alice Euphemia opened their second store in the former Craft Victoria building on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy on Thursday 26th of July in a flurry of independent style.
Owner Karen Reischieck celebrated Alice Euphemia's first decade with a room filled with 350 plus guests attending a mock wedding which starred designers Romance Was Born's forthcoming collection and Luke as MC. Those in attendance included local designers and crafts people Reischieck has supported over her 10 years in business - Alpha 60, LIFEwithBIRD, Romance Was Born, TV, Schwipe, Mjolk, Maus Cat Berlin and Iggy & LouLou amongst others.
Waiters dressed by Romance Was Born in lab coats and glasses poured Australian sparkling, Little Creatures beer and handed around cup cakes throughout the evening and there was elbows out from the ladies for the throwing of the bouquet! Loreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Festival Director, Karen Webster made the official opening speech commenting on Reischieck's invaluable contribution to Australian fashion and her dedication to nurturing young talent by breaking many designers such as Josh Goot and Toni Maticevski into big names. The overflowing community of people present at the event reflected the impact Alice Euphemia has had on Melbourne's design scene.
Alice Euphemia - 114 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy 03 9417 4300
www.aliceeuphemia.com
The founders of Alter, Jono Wallace (front left on keys) and Dan Whitford (front right standing by) are not your typical creative services proprietors. Wallace is a designer who guest lectures at the Monash University Faculty of Art & Design in Melbourne, while Whitford is the front man for internationally acclaimed music act Cut Copy.
Alter was a concept in the pipeline since the design duo met at Monash University in 1999 but temporarily put on hold while both gained experience with leading practices Cornwell and Richard Blackman Design. The studio has since proved to be a winning design combination for Wallace and Whitford; they benefit from making every expression an opportunity – be it a one colour poster, a three dimensional display, a TVC or a website.
Whitford comments, “We’ve both got our strengths and they seem to generate interesting results when combined. Part of our approach is to accept that we live in a post modern world saturated with imagery and references so why not just enjoy it, celebrate it and swim around in it for a while.”
This acceptance of an overload of imagery is referenced in much of Alter’s work where images are cleverly layered and details are rich with graphic folly. Bold shapes, bright colours and a playful aesthetic are elements within the work that offer Alter a distinctive voice; a stark contrast and reaction to the minimalism expressed in the 1990’s. Alter collage and compositions are a departure from the tired doodles that dominate youth marketing. A balance has been struck between over-the-top and naïve images and forms, resulting in work loaded with reference, be it decorative, whimsy or wit.
Alter has carved out of a strong signature in music for cult brands like Modular Recordings, the Ministry of Sound and Virgin Festival. More recently Alter have demonstrated their creative application across mediums through their campaign for the MTV Music Awards. The diversity of their work also extends to the Portable Film Festival as well as ongoing projects for fashion stables including Levis, Adidas, Mambo, Stussy and General Pants.
The MTV project is a prime example of Alter’s expertise when executing a large scale campaign to communicate an overall concept for a brand. Alter developed the entire creative for the MTV Music Awards. Their work was applied on the show itself, TVC’s and currently airing on MTV Overdrive (new broadband TV channel). The campaign comprises of a number of visual elements including photographic imagery, illustration, animation and a TVC production of a carefully placed red carpet…
As identity design moves from being a curious aesthetic to a company asset, there is a trend for graphic design practices to behave more like a well oiled professional services machine, than workplaces for creative and subsequent strategic thinking. Alter is a studio that speaks through the work it produces and the people who produce it; which has grown since its inception to 4 designers and a freelance team. Wallace and Whitford’s youthful enthusiasm shines through their work as they communicate ideas with a very distinct balance of message, form, image and detail.
www.alter.com.au
Hot on the heels of Australian Fashion Week, designers Monika Tywanek and Ingrid Verner have all eyes glued on TV; their boutique label pairs a fresh, eclectic, and unexpected aesthetic with a sophisticated silhouette.
Beaming out of Melbourne, TV opened their first flagship store in Prahran in spectacular style this week with their guest list of around 250 influential style starters spilling out onto the street. TV teamed with Moth Design and Organic Studio to create the window installation and artwork throughout the space while the Semi-Tough boys known for their "To all the People we Love" parties set to work spinning records for the night.
"Our shop is a little off the beaten track," says Ingrid. "It suits us just fine" adds Monika.
The collection hanging from the TV racks demonstrated the duo's talent to meld razor-modern cutting techniques with tactile natural materials, embodying both playfulness and finesse. Concentrating on fit, fabrication, and wearability, TV's attention to form creates a laidback and polished style that feels like a hug, but looks like a knock out.
"We're working to reinterpret basic items in an interesting way," says Verner, while Tywanek describes their approach as "Clean and concise using geometric silhouettes."
In March 2006, the dynamic duo launched their label (then known as Tvanek.Verner) at the Melbourne Fashion Festival. As the ultimate toast to their stellar debut, TV were awarded the esteemed Tiffany Designer Award, with festival head Karen Webster lauding their collection as "Garments of superb quality with an air of quirky innovation."
TV - 2A Cecil Place, Prahran, 03 9525 0355
www.t-v.net.au
The name Begley originally appeared in Gaelic as O Beaglaoich where beag means little, and laoch means hero. First Anglicized as O’Begley, it now appears mostly as Begley, and occasionally Bagley.
