Sleek CelineI am obsessed with these fur lined Celine slides.Featured in the SS13 collection these cuddly creations were purring my name.But of course with such a high price tag a girls gotta compensate so I picked up these Adidas babies as a substitut…

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By Air To My Earth

IN part two of my MBFWA Innovators profile series, I spoke backstage with Elissa McGowan. 

Photo: Jamie-maree Shipton

In the lead up to our chat, I only managed to find a bit of information about new designer Elissa McGowan, and what information I did find didn’t do her or her designs justice.

The complexity behind the inspiration for Elissa’s collection is something you don’t come across in fashion too often. It’s an instance where fashion delves into another world and where the creations result in something dreamlike and beautiful.

It was no wonder then that the main inspiration for Elissa’s collection was surrealist painting, the ideology behind surrealism and in turn the subconscious of creating such surrealist expression in both paint and fashion.

The collection was fittingly titled ‘Pure Psychic Automatism’, which is essentially the definition of surrealism.

Instead of a paint brush, Elissa’s canvas is developed with a needle and thread. It is with these tools that she explores texture and sculptural cuts through a psychedelic and surreal approach. The time involved in the creation of Elissa’s collection is equal to that needed to create a surrealist masterpiece, and I find her backstage still working on it.

Photo: Jamie-maree Shipton

I am initially intrigued about what it is about surrealism that Elissa finds so appealing in her design process.

“I reference nature a lot and I think there is a parallel between a realism in nature, in terms of its forms, and it being quite organic. So for me, it was a natural progression to look at surrealism,” Elissa explains.

She applies a painterly approach to the development of her garments, ensuring her organic shapes are employed within the constraints of cleanly sculptured lines. It is this juxtaposition between organic and sculptured line and shape that represents the surrealist element of her collection. Elissa makes her organic and painterly lines exist in a sharp tailored garment, something that would not occur often within the realism of nature.

“I did a lot of layering, cutting and bonding. I used a lot of silks and sheers and worked within the realm of building up layers in the organic sense. I also worked with the idea of sculpture and drape, which is something you also see in surrealism through the dripping of paint,” she says.

Elissa says one of her main sources of inspiration was the artist Francis Bacon, who “uses a lot of fleshy tones, but highlights and frames with darker elements and accents.”

Her collection is a successful representation of the complexities inherent in surrealism. You may see one thing, but something else is always coexisting at another level of the art. For example, a lot of the painterly patterns draped across Elissa’s garments appear to be watercolour images constructed by a printer, but once I get a closer look, I see the patterns are actually created through the layering of fabric.

The effect is otherworldly. With so many layers, you would assume there would be a heaviness to the garments. But in fact, they are airy, delicate and light.

As I end our interview, I ask Elissa what she wants people to feel when viewing her collection on the runway.

“I think each to their own. I try and create a bit of a dream sense, but I do want the women who wear my pieces to feel strong and like they know themselves,” she says.

Elissa’s collection definitely transported MBFWA viewers to a dream sense, creating an atmosphere of whimsy that left myself, and the other show-goers, with a feeling of awe over such a beautiful collection and such beautiful craftsmanship. No doubt there will be big things to come for Elissa McGowan.

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By Air To My Earth

So I have long been obsessed with denim on denim, so when the design duo Marques Almeida came along it was like a dream come true.The beauty of denim showcased through their raw hems, stiff boxy silhouettes, variety of washes and of course the overall …

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By Air To My Earth

My favourite colour combo, black and white.It’s my go to palette that never does wrong.I mix it up with textures and accessories, like this chubby fur coat I have been living in! Mossman shirt.Cotton On pants & jacket.H&M boots.Estelle Dev…

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By Air To My Earth

All about this cut copy style shoot over at Oyster featuring all Topshop gear plus of course the babe’n Anja. 

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By Air To My Earth

To follow up the menswear trend report, here is the womenswear trend report from MBFWA…

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Trend Report

Do it like a dude:

Futuristic:

Visual Illusions/Hyper floral:

Sports Luxe:

Globe Trotter:

Va-Va Volume:

Accessories Trends:

Stacker style:

Need some neon:

In line with the futuristic fashions on the catwalk, accessories also took on a space-age vibe. Emma Mulholland showcased neon perspex pieces in geometric shaped necklaces, chokers, and star shaped cuffs.

Less is more:

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By Air To My Earth

Here’s my menswear trend forecast from MBFWA as published over at Moustache Magazine! 

MBFWA Male Trends 2013

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I have never wanted Birkenstocks so bad in ma life. Bassike SS 13. 

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By Air To My Earth

This brand/lookbook was too good not to share after Oracle Fox did a post on it today.I love the raw grunge vibe and the boyish androgyny, every piece is killer.But the dropped leather pants and those overalls that fasten around your neck, ar…

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By Air To My Earth

Every blogger’s and journalist’s dream accessories!Weston notebook and iphone cases available here. 

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By Air To My Earth

Some of the models dressed in Leroy Nguyen get their final touches backstage before the show. Photo: Jamie-maree Shipton

Designer Leroy Nguyen with a model in one of his ss13/14 pieces before the MBFWA Innovators show. Photo: Jamie-Maree Shipton

Models posing in Leroy Nguyen Design backstage at MBFWA The Innovators show.

A Leroy Nguyen look walks down the Innovators Runway at MBFWA. Photo: ThePrDept.

Zipper details on one of Leroy Nguyens MBFWA The Innovators runway looks. Photo: ThePRDept.

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My favourite MBFWA buddies Tasfia Reza & Fabliha Reza from Inside In Inside Out (Fab is behind the camera!) & Sam Van Grinsven a.k.a Brisbane Boy the Fashion Editor at Moustache Magazine.  Bring on New Zealand Fashion Week!!…

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By Air To My Earth

Here is my MBFWA Day 2 outfit. Shout out to the lovely Fabliha over at Inside In Inside Out blog for snapping these for me <3Topshop top & skirt.Sportsgirl sunglasses.DIY leather bag.Bardot Chain necklaces.Estelle Deve shark tooth ring…

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By Air To My Earth

Here is my day 4 MBFWA outfit which was also snapped by the lovelies at streetcreeper.com, thanks!  Custom made dressCeline bagh&m bootsMaison Martin Margeila nose bridge Air To My Earth quartz choker/collar 

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By Air To My Earth

The final day of MBFWA began with the New Generation show, where seven designers debuted fresh collections.You know it’s going to be a pretty good morning when your show line up includes seven designers in the one showcase. Even though the showtime is …

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By Air To My Earth

 Bardot skirt, top and jacketH&M bootsCeline bagSportsgirl SunglassesEstelle Deve shark tooth necklaceBardot I.D necklaceEbay Choker

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By Air To My Earth

Although a last minute addition to the MBFWA schedule, Emma Mulholland quickly become the MOST anticipated show of the week. There was so much hype in fact the show was so over capacity that at least 50 people were turned away from the doors, some even…

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By Air To My Earth

Phoenix Keating.

Known for his dramatics, and famous clients (Lady Gag), Pheonix Keating’s debut MBFWA showcase delivered above and beyond. The show; which was half catwalk, half presentation, was as awe inspiring as any show goer could hope for. Upon walking into the shows location, I was met with a dark lit space , with light illuminating towering models standing on display boxes, and in the centre of their circle formation stood a large windmill. The atmosphere felt something reminiscent of a modern western. The music matching perfectly to this aesthetic, a futuristic beat to what I assume was a western theme song to some old sitcom. All that was missing was hay bails, although you still felt like you were still standing in the wild-west The whole styling of the show was perfection. Then there were the models and the clothes. The aura the models were illuminating by simply standing, unwavering and barely even blinking was very fierce. This of course was enhanced by their extremely long false nails and what I called hardwear-their big metal jewellery and belts. They really embodied a persona that lifted the clothes. And this got even better when they began disembarking from their platforms, solo,  and walking around the room. The clothes were theatrical and powerful, signature Keating.  It was a futuristic, western frenzy. High shine silver foil like materials paired with suede brown fringing, tweed tailoring mixed with mesh details, large rolled hair styles paired with over the top makeup. It was definitely a one of a kind show, and some of the other reporters even dared say they would have shed a tear had they not been surrounded by others!

Shakuhachi.

Spacesuit-like construction was fused with wistful prints and girlish silhouettes. Bomber jackets coated in a metallic sheen were paired with playful floral camisoles, and punctuated with aluminium backpacks and perspex hightops. Figure-hugging sweet-heart PU bustier’s acted as the models cosmic-armour, foil like fabric as some kind of extreme heat protector and iridescent sequins and pearlescent fabric a futuristic colour palette.
The exaggerated proportions and angular shapes of the cap sleeves and sharp edges of peplums and skirt hems were juxtaposed with ready-to-wear sportswear pieces with mesh detailing and dreamy mashed up floral prints.White on white looks were fresh and sleek, metallic high shine fabrics worn one on top of the other in blues, greens and pinks emphasised the matchy-matchy trend and sweat headbands adorned in sequins matched perfectly to the models glittered eyelids creating  true space-age glamazons.
Shakuhachi offered a haute galactic voyage through a colliding cosmos is an ode to the modern-day super-girl and I loved every minute.

*Images via mbfwafashionweek.com

story originally published (by me) at Meld Magazine.

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By Air To My Earth

I was lucky enough to be allowed backstage for an hour leading up to the Innovators show at MBFWA, and although I was interviewing the designers I was able to take a few hurried shots before the show got underway.It was KILLER!Interviews, images and re…

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Day Three had its ups and downs but it definitely finished on a high.Lisa Ho The day three opener was a presentation of modern femininity. Strong women strutted the catwalk in the modern backdrop of the Art Gallery of NSW, with sleek, firmly pulled bac…

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By Air To My Earth