There is a certain feeling when the lights go down and the catwalk comes to life. For the opening L’Oreal Paris Runway at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, that feeling for me was heart palpitations.
After working a full day at the Fashion Industry Forum, held at BMW Edge at Federation Square, I had 30 minutes to get from Flinders Street to the Docklands event space for the Grazia supported Runway One featuring Carla Zampatti, Romance Was Born, Leona Edmiston, Nina Maya, Rachel Gilbert and Sass and Bide. Easy right?
Wrong. At 6.40pm, when I finally arrived at the venue, I was turned away from the car park and left close to tears wondering how I was ever going to make it on time and how on earth I had missed the first runway show of the week.
$17, a 400m run and a shaky conversation with the media team later, I stumbled into the auditorium and took my seat, heart racing and wondering about my ability to concentrate fully on the happenings at hand when all I could feel was my chest thumping in my ears.
But what concerned me most was the fact that I was wearing flat shoes at the opening parade for LMFF. Fashion sin indeed.
The lights dimmed and I took a deep breath, feeling the electricity of a new year of fashion wash over me. Melissa George, ex Home and Away starlet and face of the festival, took to the catwalk to welcome everyone to Runway One and we got underway.
Carla Zampatti took centre stage first, old world glamour with vintage make up and hair giving the clothes a modern take on classic looks. Orange, black and gold in mostly structured designs were entirely wearable, followed by the quirky (and often unwearable) Romance Was Born.
Romance Was Born featured unconventional colours and styles, but this is often all in the styling for fashion shows and shoots. While the unitard won’t be on my list of must-haves, the tassel clip-ons for shoes were fun and individual pieces are just enough to shine when teamed with simple pieces.
Local favourite Leona Edmiston showed more vintage inspired pieces – rosary beads, netting over the face with 50s framed sunglasses and seamed stocking,s giving the show a Mad Men / 50s desperate housewife vibe. Surely inspired by Diane Von Furstenburg, wrap dresses with three quarter sleeves are a perfect office to ‘out for the night’ piece.
Sequins and styled up Nina Maya took to the runway with riding crops and hats working with jodpur and jockey inspired pieces. Embossed and embellished velvet, leather and some seriously sexy boots before mini dresses by Rachel Gilbert showed necklines and straps could go every which way.
The highlight dress was an apricot leather mini and I loved the finger gloves and oversized cocktail rings before serious sparkle and evening dresses with chiffon took over.
The final exit of the parade, Sass and Bide, is always a hit and this time I was even convinced. Rose gold was the colour of the moment; the pinky apricot tones were amazing paired with a muted green and will surely be my investment piece of the season.
So I caught my breath and went for a drink at the festival bar, to literally drink in the atmosphere of the fashion festival. And, might I say, it slid down very easily.
