As part of the Sydney Fashion Festival Take Over, I envision a fashion festival for quintessential Australian brands who celebrate colour, texture and innovation. Romance Was Born, Emma Mulholland, Dypsnea and Hayley Elsaesser are all wonderful Australian designers who continually inspire audiences with their unique designers, but remain competitive on a global stage. Their work easily transcends that of fashion, and is deeply rooted in popular culture and celebrating the work of contemporary artists. For this reason and many more, they are the perfect ambassadors for #MBFFSYDNEY
Aside from choosing which shows to attend, the next item of business is the outfit! There are a few essentials for any Fashion Festival attendee: statement shoes, an IT bag, phone case (for Instagram snapping), a light jacket and sunglasses. Street style has become almost as important as the shows themselves, with fashion editors and bloggers planning their outfits well in advance to the finest detail. At fashion week it’s important to remain true to your sense of self- and for me that’s all about colour, colour and more colour!
Outfit 1: Christopher Kane dress and clutch, Gianluca Capannolo coat and Sophia Webster heels.
Outfit 3: Vintage Christian Dior dress, Saint Laurent beaded fringe shoulder bag and Stuart Weitzman fringe boots.
Outfit 4: Simone Rocha ruffled tapestry dress and brogues, Saint Laurent monogram satchel.
A big part of any events success is the coverage, particular through Instagram, and I can think of no one better to take the helm than Susana Lau of Style Bubble! She’s been touted as THEfashion blogger, and is a personal style icon of mine. Not only that, she has a great eye for detail and takes stunning images from the front row, as well as backstage and is a seasoned expert when it comes to dodging the chaos.
In terms of venue, Carriageworks is the perfect location for an Australian fashion extravaganza! More importantly I envisage a presentation whereby models don’t walk down a runway, but are the centre piece for an exhibition. This gives the audience more time to interact with the clothes, see the details which are so often missed unless seen during a showroom viewing, but the brand is able to demonstrate who their clothes are for and personality. Brands like Sophia Webster, Molly Goddard and Clio Peppiatt have taken to this style of presentation and launched their respective profiles by being able to show off their individuality.
However, there is still room for a classic runway show at Carriageworks, as we’ve seen in the past with Australian label Romance Was Born showing their epitomic Mushroom Magic collection, inspired by the artwork of Tanya Schultz. Schultz, better known under the alias Pip & Pop created her pastel, three-dimensional artworks for the runway show and lent her trademark aesthetics for the design of the clothes themselves. The more intricate the runway show, music and lighting, the better the clothes look. Even small details such as the show's invitation are hugely important!
1) Statement shoe
They're the icing on the cake when it comes to outfits, shoes could not be more important at fashion week.
They're the icing on the cake when it comes to outfits, shoes could not be more important at fashion week.
Packing flats and pumps, in addition to statement heels is the key to success!
1: Oscar de la Renta, 2: Stella Mccartney, 3: Rochas, 4 & 5: Nicholas Kirkwood, 6: Red Valentino, 7: Fendi and 8: Dolce and Gabbana.
2) The perfect bag
Ideally you want something small and light, for all your essentials- I've fallen in love with the psychedelic patterns of Paula Cademartori (don't forget a statement bag charm!)
3) Sunglasses
Assuming you're staying up late and attending various after parties, a pair of sunnies will hide any dark circles.
From top to bottom: Illesteva sunglasses, Retrosuperfuture Andy Warhol sunglasses and Preen by Thornton Bregazzi sunglasses.
4) Phone case
You’ll be busy taking photos to post on social media, and a fun phone case is an easy way to add colour to any outfit!
From left to right: Moschino and Philipp Plein phone cases.
3) Sunglasses
Assuming you're staying up late and attending various after parties, a pair of sunnies will hide any dark circles.From top to bottom: Illesteva sunglasses, Retrosuperfuture Andy Warhol sunglasses and Preen by Thornton Bregazzi sunglasses.
4) Phone case
From left to right: Moschino and Philipp Plein phone cases.
Alternative festivals which aren’t rooted in fashion, such as Port Elliott Festival and Afropunk have become synonymous with street style fashion and celebrate creativity as well as diversity. I’d love to see Sydney Fashion Festival invite designers to talk about their creative processes, as well as what inspires them. Additionally, marquees dedicated to fashion face painting and creative hairstyles, as well as workshops for those into DIY will attract those who aren’t necessarily interested in fashion as an industry, but an outlet for their creativity.
What's your ideal Fashion Festival? Or what can't you live without during Fashion Week? Do you prefer watching a runway, or the showroom? 
