The 2017 Fashion Moments I Won’t Forget

The runway is my beat, but the year started with a pulse-quickening reminder that fashion is made on the street. I’m talking about the Women’s Marches on January 21 and the grassroots movement that had crowds of women (and men) in Washington, D.C.; New York; and cities across the country wearing handmade pink pussy hats. I can’t think of another item of clothing that has been so quickly embraced, nor a form of political dissidence that is so optimistic and cheering. A pink pussy hat is the fashionable equivalent of a raised fist. It’s so embedded with meaning, in fact, that London’s Victoria and Albert Museum has made the pussy hat part of its Rapid Response collection and the city’s Design Museum has nominated the Pussyhat Project as a Fashion Design of the Year. Give it the prize!

                                                   
My favorite show of the year was Rick Owens’s Spring ’18. The shared camaraderie of wearing the black plastic ponchos; the Palais de Tokyo fountains going full blast; Owens’s wife, Michèle Lamy, cackling maniacally on the loudspeaker; the layers upon layers of clothes . . . Against the backdrop of Hurricane Maria headlines, Owens’s collection felt like a siren call about the climate crisis. Then, the California fires came. Owens is from California. Which makes me wonder how he’ll address that in 2018.

The week after we all returned from Paris, Vogue put on its first-ever Forces of Fashion conference. Everybody has a conference these days—they’re part of the new experience economy that we’re all talking about—but not everybody has Rihanna as a speaker! I interviewed Victoria Beckham, who made the job extremely easy, warming up the crowd by warning it that, with microphone in hand, she just might bust out into a Spice Girls song. Beckham discussed ambition, determination, and, believe it or not, the value of “not knowing what you don’t know.” Every time I doubt myself these days, I have VB’s encouraging voice ringing in my ears.

Kitten heels are back in fashion

My feet are feeling a bit smug right now because they are cosily encased in Dior’s new kitten heels. Yes, those ones – the ribbed fabric pair with dressmaker’s cream ribbon wrapped around the slingback, logoed with J’ADIOR. They caught my eye at Maria Grazia Chiuri’s inaugural collection for the French house and have been on my shopping list ever since. And they do not disappoint. As a whole, this is a satisfyingly minimal shoe: the heel has a considered, architectural shape, gently sloping from the rim of the sole, while the ribbon adds the buzzy detailing. They provide just the right amount of lift to the derrière while not hampering swift movement, and offer a delightful respite from towering stilettos (I never wear them), platforms (dangerous and everywhere), fashionable slides (a shoe styled on a Birkenstock has its limits), and fuglies (the clue’s in the name). No wonder we’re falling in love with kittens again.

                                           

Kittens have been quietly returning to the catwalks for a couple of seasons now. And when the most influential designers of the moment agree on a trend, you can be sure everyone else will follow. Demna Gvasalia, creative director of both Vetements and Balenciaga, seems more enamoured than most. Much of Balenciaga’s a/w ’16 shoe collection had kitten heels attached – from hot-pink ankle boots to glossy white pumps. And at Vetements’ s/s ’17 show this summer, the opening look was accompanied by a charcoal satin kitten-heel slingback, designed in collaboration with Manolo Blahnik (the man who first nurtured our desire for this squashed stiletto two decades ago).

Meanwhile, for Gucci’s resort collection, Alessandro Michele has clearly been rummaging in the label’s archives, returning with his take on the house’s celebrated bamboo kitten heel, originally designed during Tom Ford’s tenure. For 2017 he has attached it to a metallic green slingback, punched with gold spikes – this time, the Gucci kitten comes with claws. And for summer, as well as the delicate Diors, Phoebe Philo at Céline has produced butter-yellow kitten-heel mules (also on the shopping list); at Prada they are partnered with confections of sequins, beading and elaborate feather plumage.

Spring racing fashion for all-comers

Can you hear it? At this time of year it’s a familiar tune. The sound of hoofs gaining ground as they come around the turn into the final leg of the spring racing season, with the Melbourne Cup Carnival its finishing line. No matter whether you are heading to the Birdcage at Flemington that week, or simply attending an event in Perth or Parramatta on Cup Day, finding the perfect race outfit is key.

                                             
For women, there is one non-negotiable that sets this look apart from any other special occasion outfit: headwear. Hats proper are always in vogue, whether a wide-brimmed straw or something bespoke from a milliner.

But there are some other off-the-rack trends that have gained trackside traction in recent years and that may better suit those less inclined to large statements.

The current fashion climate is easily adapted to spring racing. “From a women’s wear perspective, the look is very ladylike and pretty, which is perfect for the ladies this racing carnival.” That feminine slant is seen in floral prints, lace, “flippy skirts”, or even the midi-length skirt, according to Brewster. While strapless dresses or even spaghetti straps are a no-go for the races, Brewster says there is still a way to show off shoulders with halter-neck tops or the “cold shoulder” look of cut-outs, dropped shoulders or asymmetrical necklines.

London Fashion Week round-up

On Saturday morning, the mayor of London Sadiq Khan sat front row to watch the SS18 show by Molly Goddard, who won the British Emerging Talent Award at the Fashion Awards last December.

                                             
“I’m here to support up-and-coming British talent,” Khan told the FT after the show. “Fashion is who we are, it’s in our DNA. We should be proud of the fact that our fashion exports are growing, that we have a pipeline of talent coming through. There’s a new generation of people involved in fashion, whether it’s the new editor of Vogue or some of the designers you are seeing over the week.”

New media and “influencers” are jostling for position on the front row with the traditional press. Vogue is on the brink of an eagerly awaited refresh, with Edward Enninful at the helm and a revamped team installed (although whether or not editors-at-large Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are strictly new is debatable).

Of course this is all taking place under the looming storm cloud of Brexit. Almost everyone in the British fashion industry was opposed to the idea of leaving the EU, given the potential complications of trade tariffs, unfavourable exchange rates, and restrictions on hiring talent from abroad. Meanwhile, on the first day of London Fashion Week, a terrorist bomb partially exploded on the Tube, and the security level was raised to critical.

Rocky designers' amazing fashion pieces on show

UNTIL the turn of the last Century, women's fashion was centred on bespoke, ornate and precisely fitted garments.

Rockhampton Art Gallery are taking inspiration from the days before mass-made, off-the-rack clothing and accessories to feature eye-catching designs by Central Queensland artists and creators.

By day, Kim Withers is an accountant, but in her spare time for the past decade she's busy making millinery for the women of Rockhampton for her business Art of the Hat.

Her stunning designs have even made it to the Melbourne Cup Carnival, featured at Oakes Day millinery award in 2014.

Now locals can get a taste for her wearable art, with pieces on show at the gallery complementing the colours and styles of the Coming Into Fashion: A Century of Photography from Conde Nast, running in the ground floor of the building.

It's the second time Kim's work has been displayed at the gallery, something she is thrilled about.

While designers sometimes plead that such stars evoke the Wild West or varsity culture (stars are cute! stars denote achievement!), the Nazis made sure that from the 1930s until forever that they will be associated with the murderous pursuit of Jews in the Holocaust.

And yet, Italian fashion giant Miu Miu got it so hopelessly wrong by producing a dress in its latest range with a yellow star patch on the chest.

Although the star is five pointed, and not the six points of the Star of David, and says "John", it didn't matter.

Is Fashion Performance Art?

 The heroine was Mary Poppins. And although London's Victorian age pearly kings and queens are somewhere between art and theatre, that intersection of the two elements was the point of creating these elegantly tailored jackets decorated with buttons.

                                                   
They were displayed in Rome at the Accademia Costume & Moda – a rare school that melds designing for the performing arts with fashion.

Since haute couture – and all high-end design – switched from primarily serving clients to showcasing creative concepts, there have been earnest discussions about fashion as art. It started well before the new millennium when drama on the runway was normalised by defining fashion shows as theatre.

But in the current confusion of what is now haute couture and, on another fashion page, whether students should be encouraged to make exciting but unwearable creations, the academic and industrial projects from the students in Rome struck a chord.

Is it a different context to the British or American schools that – especially in the case of the UK – have dominated design for the last quarter of a century?

Lupo Lanzara, Deputy Chairman of the Accademia Costume & Moda, explained that the family business he now runs with his brother, CEO Furio Francini, sets out to highlight three pillars of education: costume; fashion and accessories; and communications, which includes editing and styling. All three are treated as significant and important.

Kimbra and Dior team up for a night of fashion, art and music

The Grammy Award-winning musician will perform amongst a night of luxury food, wine and fashion.

                                           
This year’s inaugural National Gallery of Victoria Gala will not be forgotten in the history books.

The NGV today announced that Grammy Award-winning and style icon Kimbra will be performing at the black tie event, joining the likes of internationally acclaimed chef James Henry and DJ duo Yolande Be Cool in a sophisticated intersection of art, fashion, music, fine wine and food.

Guests attending the event — held on the August 26 — will be able to enjoy a glass of Moet & Chandon whilst exploring the many artistic installations, indulge in bespoke cocktails and canapés resting at the Starwood whiskey lounge, and walk the David Jones red carpet alongside the nation’s most stylish. Celebrated florist Flowers Vasette is transforming flowers into extraordinary large-scale installations, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to planning the most beautiful black-tie.

The event is set to be an all-immersive, multi-faceted experience and, without doubt, will capture the admiration of both attendees and those living vicariously through them. A line-up of this stature is certain to inspire, so with tickets still available now it’s time to recruit your friends and live, breathe, eat among art.

From Kalgoorlie Cup to New York Fashion Week

A fledgling couture label run by a mother-daughter team in Kalgoorlie has been handpicked for showcasing at one of the world's biggest industry events: New York Fashion Week.

                                         
Bel Cappello – Italian for 'beautiful hat' – is run out-of-hours by mining engineer Holly Kiely and her mother, lawyer Jennine Kiely.

There, they discovered a client in common with Australian designer Ana Pribylova, whose label Ana Bella Millinery is based across London, Melbourne and Dubai, and lent her a dress to show with a hat in the designer millinery category.

They placed in the top 10 in Derby Day Fashions on the Field and when Pribylova returned the dress she offered them the opportunity to showcase their collection alongside her at London Fashion Week's House of Ikons show in February.

This international debut sparked invitations from various houses to fashion weeks across the globe, including the big one: New York in September.

"We are very proud to be from regional WA and like to tell people about our background and show people it doesn't matter where you are based; if you work hard and are ambitious you can make it happen."

The team are sharing their success with local models, 19-year-old Roche Klopper and 15-year-old Chloe Grace, who they will take to the New York catwalk.

Fashion Critical on the 2017 Logies fashion

FAMED anonymous fashion blogger Fashion Critical is back again, this time to give their no-holds-barred verdict on this year’s Logies frocks.

CARRIE BICKMORE: Be still my beating heart: Carrie looks absolutely SMOKING. The colour, the cut, the twirl. This would not go astray on the Oscars Red Carpet, let alone Australia’s, ahem, entertainment “night of nights”. She looks breathtaking.

YAEL STONE: Um. I love this bird on Orange is the New Black but PLEASE, NO. This, my friends, is the dress that Austin Powers rejects. Please remove the sleeves, the buttons, the fabric, change the length …. Actually, could you just get changed please? I see the kinda 60s vibe that she’s going for, but it’s a no for me.

Hawkins hits the runway for Myer Fashion Show at Bourke Street Mall

CONSUMERS will get the chance to see Jennifer Hawkins and Kris Smith up close and personal at the Myer Fashion Runway in the Bourke Street Mall store today.

The glamour pair will sport the latest looks for the new season along a 280m long runway which snakes its way around the second floor of the city store.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting all the customers and soaking up the crazy energy,” Hawkins says.

“Everyone is so close to the fashion. It is a chance for customers to be involved in an intimate runway rather than just seeing it live online.”

More than 100 of the new season looks will be on show from designers including Asilo, by johnny, Cue, Sass & Bide, Seed, Acler and Skin and Threads.

One of Hawkins’ favourite trends for the season is Victoriana which includes soft florals, lace and ruffles.

“If you’re after a bolder look, then vibrant brights and colourful patterns are really popular. And statement earrings are a must. I always say to find the colours and trends that suit your own personal style and embrace them,” she says.

Fashion designer learns to sew in secret

BURIED in international trading taxation and federal budgets, Ann Xiao ploughed through the first year of her economics degree; her mind elsewhere.

                                           
Having attended a specialist high school where all subjects were tailored towards commerce, science and business, her path was already being paved for a career behind a desk and excel spreadsheet.

But the Sydney-based creative with a passion for fashion had other plans.

Before her second year of university, Ann told her parents she needed to take a year off to work before getting back into study. A white lie she had to tell.

Behind the guise of a busy working girl, Ann spent 12 months teaching herself to sew in secret through YouTube videos and pulling apart her own clothes; building her portfolio and harnessing her talent.

She applied for every fashion course in the state until she was accepted into one of the best fashion design courses in Sydney at Ultimo TAFE.

It was then she had to break the news to her parents.

Now graduated, the 23-year-old is already making ripples she hopes to turn into waves.

Last year she was selected from a pool of 35 to exhibit her collection, A.N.X, at her school's graduation runway show to an audience of industry heads and scouts.

Her latest feat is being selected to present at Dunedin's iD Fashion Week - one of New Zealand's premier events with major designers and industry professionals as well as an emerging designers competition.

Optimism chic – the look of 2017

Most Januarys are broadly similar. The lunchtime wait in line at M&S to exchange that dodgy Christmas gift cardigan, the treadmills jammed with runners trying to remember how to work the controls, the Dry January martyrs making a massive song and dance about every Diet Coke in the pub.

But this particular January feels tangibly different. Seldom has a new year begun with a zeitgeist united in such bloody-minded optimism. The social media mood on New Year’s Day was a curious mix of blitz spirit (“We can do this!”) and VE Day demob-fever (“We did it!”). The afterburn of 2016 is being felt in our collective determination to bring a better year into being through sheer force of will. Last year had more than its fair share of obscure buzzwords – from Kondo to post-truth to hygge – but the first of this year is one that everyone can rally around. Optimism is so hot right now.

This is big picture stuff, but style is part of it, because on an individual level even big picture stuff gets expressed in small ways. Profound statements are posted on Instagram, and liked by your immediate family. And what you wear to face 2017 is a statement, too. In Susie Boyt’s book My Judy Garland Life, she writes that one of the lessons she learned from her heroine is that “Glamour is a moral stance.” Dressing to cheer and brighten the world in 2017 – whether by red lipstick or a Choose Life T-shirt – is a generous act. And so it is that the look of 2017 has a different slant to what went before. More cheerful, more colourful, more outward looking. With the benefit of hindsight, the athleisure trend that dominated the first half of 2016 seems to signify not simply the wholesome, healthsome vibe it represented at the time, but something about self-obsession and a brazenness about celebrating the shallows of humanity, which played out on a meta scale later in the year.