Acne Studios Resort 2016

I didn't think it was possible, but a brand has built their reputation on being polished and yet eccentric all at once. At the core of it, the clothes are to the highest standard but the styling is both weird and wonderful. From bowl cuts with purposeful cowlicks and buzz cuts, traditionally masculine haircuts have been softened and the notion of gender blurred. The result is wonderfully eccentric, and pants shrouded by long coats looking not too dissimilar to skirts with deep splits. Also for those concerned with ~trend reports~ (though I despise such superficial, clickbait garbage) pointed shoes are back in vogue. I loved the thick elasticised ankle straps and frayed edges characterising the Acne Resort collection. Like normal people, I do not enjoy sliding around in shoes which do not fit properly, or imagining my shoes slipping off my feet and into a nearby gutter. Unlike thin straps they also don't cut into the skin, although they do result in some interesting tan lines. Tattoo chokers have also enjoyed a recent revival and Acne have done just that- translating something tacky into high fashion.

Images via Vogue.com

Caroline Day 2015

Revolutionaries such as Ari Seth Cohen and his mature lady muses have changed public perception of senior citizens but also personal style. The colours, textures, cuts and patchwork all remind me of the quirky creations you might see at a Country Womens Association in your typical small town. The eclectic, homely and a cacophony of materials have shaped Caroline Day's graduate collection at the Westminster Fashion show. Judicious pinning and ruching helped to create a more sculptural figure which was in turn smothered by a large billowing cape inspired by the chic boudoir jackets of yesteryear. Combined with the lace doilies from your grandmothers house, quite possibly her antique quilt and treasures from her wardrobe accumulated over a lifetime. There's a definite sense that well-worn clothes are being cited as possible inspirations, reinforced only by clunky school shoes in contrast to ragged hems. For anyone who was left feeling a bit lost amongst the couture collections, saddened by the prospect of never seeing them in person much less wearing those spectacular frocks be comforted in the fact that you can create your own brand of cool clothing.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

Louise Alsop 2013

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a "cool older girl in high school"- not in a creepy way but to kind of monitor how teenage girls suddenly experiment with how they look and what they wear. There was a moment in Inside Out where Riley transfers to her knew school and mentally takes note of who she should be friends with, singling out the "cool girl" in the room with half black and half blue hair. I always aspired to BE the cool older girl, and when I help out kids in high school I know from work or those who are at the university for work experience I kinda try to give off those vibes but. Yeah it never happened for me. At most I will wear ripped tights underneath a cute skirt or dress but that's as far as I've ever gotten. On the other hand, Louise Alsop totally understands and her designs embody this wild energy with her simple monochromatic and heavily frayed designs. It appears many of the Westminster Graduates were encouraged to reconstruct and subsequently deconstruct their designs for the purpose of *fashion* but none did it quite as well as she did. Plus she created health goth BEFORE IT WAS EVEN A THING!! These clothes are way better than the traditional health goth and minus the Adidas slide sandals.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

Fendi Resort 2015

The silhouettes so often employed by the trendiest fashion bloggers and editors meets colour and imagination, finally. Fendi has created the embodiment of twenty-first century chic while simultaneously injecting colour and substance, as the continuation some of their more successful motifs from Spring/ Summer. The familiar alligator tails in leather can be seen on some of the bags, as well as the owl bag charms alongside some of Fendi's signature totes. Accessories aside, this collection had a greater emphasis on the tailoring of the pants and aforementioned silhouettes exaggerated by the slightly unnatural poses of the model. Don't get me wrong I love being sold on the idea of transcending all human capabilities and never feeling awkward or uncomfortable but when attempting some of these slouchy gravity-bending poses, in reality, they look far less spectacular.  Jibes aside I was intrigued by those statement jackets and long skirts combining the best of troupe-like obsessions with the splendor of high fashion.

Although it's only a short collection, I feel like Fendi were able to curate a number of different ideas and execute them well. Each outfit was holistic in its approach, but lacked cohesion necessary for either Spring or Fall. In many ways it was a composite of some of the house's more decadent, as well as their more well-received pieces all rolled into one. There was also some tentative experimentation with texture in addition to those spectacular colorways. On a completely unrelated note, after staring transfixed at the mysterious floating model, as well as circular designs featured on a number of shoes that there are explicit mod references within this collection. Of course, it's all so subtle and with the pseudo-uppercut featured in a number of different looks it all feels so modern. In reality the collection does not belong to a particular decade or heavily borrow from a specific place- it exists across all time and outside it. Fashion collections have that kind of mind-altering affect on me, especially after I have spend hours staring at coal or have had very little sleep. Floating models don't help that either.

Emily Giles Graduate Collection

I accidentally stumbled upon Emily Giles when she posted a pair of shoes from her graduate collection entitled 'Ride Away' on a Facebook group I'm on. That lead me to her profile on Not Just a Label and the rest as they say is history. I was particularly interested in Giles as a newly graduated fashion student from the Queensland University of Technology and having grown up in a small rural town. While it's not uncommon for me to discuss graduate collections there has been a notable absence from the class of 2014 (I hope to rectify this). It would seem that isolation nourished her creativity rather than stamped it out and in response to a lack of commercially available clothing she focuses on traditional handy crafts. The kind which are passed down from generation to generation. As a result many pieces within her collection feature a cacophony of embroidery, knitting, weaving, beading and quilting. I've always been rather jealous of anyone who could knit and was taught by a relative and felt like it was something missing from my own life. However, these techniques are far from gentrified and instead reinvigorated by an experimental veil of colour and mystique. 

'Ride Away' was heavily influenced by the 1953 film, 'The Wild One', hence the interplay between masculine and feminine elements as explored through over sized proportions and dropped shoulders. This idea of identity shifting through time was also emphasized with the number of different coloured wigs used throughout the photo shoot. The large coats and cigarette motif reminded me of espionage films and the film noir genre re-imagined with generous colours and layered outfits. I loved how the subtleties of the details on this coat in particular were highlighted using metallic thread and draped across the shoulder but the pink jacket was what captured my imagination and fueled my passions. All the pieces were made using natural fibers including wool, silk and fur. From afar the texture of these pieces is indeterminate but on closer inspection different materials have been so well matched one element blends seamlessly against another. One can only imagine the wonders Giles will go on to achieve and what joys her next collection may bring, whatever that may be.