guard of the changing There s a new breed on the Australian fashion frontier, and they re ready and raring to take on the world.

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1 words Glynis Traill-Nash portrait photography Alana Landsberry special report fashion changing of the guard There s a new breed on the Australian fashion frontier, and they re ready and raring to take on the world. Left to right: Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett (Romance Was Born), Kym Ellery, Dion Lee, Josh Goot, Yeojin Bae hair & makeup: melanie Burnicle for sebastian, assisted by kate wilcox 132 QANTAS september 2013

2 fashion Australian designers have been making their mark on the international fashion stage for some time: Collette Dinnigan, Zimmermann, Akira Isogawa and Easton Pearson are just some of our established names. Martin Grant has staked a claim from his Paris base and is about to remind the home front of his allegiances thanks to his new uniforms for Qantas, to be worn on flights from early next year. Sass & Bide, Toni Maticevski, Alex Perry, Jayson Brunsdon, Camilla and Marc, and Willow have proven themselves battle-ready on the world s catwalks. Now, the next generation of Australian fashion forces, recognised at home and, increasingly, abroad, is bringing fresh vision to this competitive and stylish battleground. With scissors drawn Dion Lee spring/ summer 2013/14 Josh Goot Josh Goot cemented his place as a new creative force with his pushing of technical boundaries. His first show at Australian Fashion Week in 2005 showcased his unique take on tailored jersey pieces that walked a very fine line between polished and casual think metallic silver jersey trench coats or sporty tank dresses. Digital printing has become one of his signatures; his silhouettes are bolder and more structured, with a sporty edge, while his use of colour is increasingly confident. Goot is one of a number of designers, internationally, looking at woven jacquards as a subtle way of carrying contemporary pattern and imagery within the fabric construction. I think it s important for your personal journey to keep evolving, says Goot. Josh Goot (left) and garments from his spring/ summer 2013/14 collection featuring bold silhouettes with a sporty edge (right and above left) Customers: Notable fans include Natalie Imbruglia, Kate Bosworth, Kim Kardashian, Lara Bingle, Delta Goodrem and Lauren Santo Domingo from Moda Operandi. Career highlights: Josh Goot won the L Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Designer Award in 2005, a key signpost for emerging talent in Australia, along with a Qantas Spirit of Youth Award; New York Fashion Week debut in 2006, during which department store Henri Bendel filled its windows with Goot s tailored urban sport pieces, followed by two more shows in New York, and three seasons in London; collaborated with Target in 2007; opened his first store in 2012; launched an online store this year. Next: We are moving to new studio space, looking to open a store in Melbourne and continually working to improve the collection, says Goot. september 2013 QANTAS 135

3 fashion Dion Lee Dion Lee could be that once-in-ageneration fashion designer. Even before graduating from Sydney s Fashion Design Studio in 2007, he was being touted as the one to watch by many wellcredentialled Australian observers of new developments in the fashion world. Lee s technical abilities with complicated patterncutting (while still at college, he created a versatile jacket that could be worn four different ways) and sophisticated aesthetic have brought him applause from all corners of the industry in Australia, and now international acclaim has followed. For his part, Lee says his collections are driven by the development of cut and construction. I am very interested in developing fabrics that combine elements of the industrial world and technical sportswear. The aesthetic is technical, but sensual. It does have a level of formality, however it is put together in a way that feels casual and relevant. Lee s first catwalk show, in a gritty car park in Sydney s Kings Cross in 2009, brought him immediate media acclaim, and he soon moved on to showing at the Sydney Opera House much more in keeping with his elevated style and sometimes architectural approach. London has since been calling, and Lee put on his first catwalk show in the British capital in September last year, with another happening at this month s London Fashion Week. In an effort to grow his business in line with increasing demand, Lee signed a deal with the Cue Clothing Company in May this year, selling an unspecified percentage of his designs to the respected Australian high-street brand while maintaining full creative control. At the time of the deal, Lee told The Australian newspaper: Having a partner allows me to become more creative and allows Dion Lee (left) and garments from his spring/summer 2013/14 collection me to take on more exciting projects and build the brand to its utmost potential over time. We have experienced season upon season of international growth, [but] it requires resources to capitalise on all of those opportunities. Customers: The fashion-forward are fans of Lee s uncompromisingly modern designs. Celebrity supporters include Megan Gale, Rooney Mara, Emma Watson, Charlize Theron and Lady Gaga. Career highlights: Awarded Westfield Chermside Graduate of the Year in 2008, as well as Prix de Marie Claire Up and Coming Designer award; collaborated with Cue in 2011; won the Australian trophy of the International Woolmark Prize in 2012, sponsored by Qantas, and also represented Australia in the international final, in London, in February this year. Next: Lee will show his spring/summer 2014 collection in London this month. I m also working on our first retail space in Sydney, which should open later this year, he tells Qantas The Australian Way. 136 QANTAS september 2013

4 print and colour are a given in any romance was born collection Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett (below) worked with Perth artist Tanya Schultz to create this psychedelic spring/ summer collection (left) Romance Was Born R omance Was Born has brought a renewed sense of flamboyance and exuberance to Australian fashion not seen since the Flamingo Park collections of Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson in the 1970s and 80s. Actor Cate Blanchett has even gone on the record to praise the design duo s great anarchic freedom. Since graduating from East Sydney Technical College in 2004, designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales have become the go-to design duo for something that sits outside trend-based fashion, attracting exhibition curators and collaborators, as well as musicians looking for theatrical performance pieces. Print and colour are a given in any Romance Was Born collection, as is a dash of texture. At their most bizarre, they might put a volcano dress on the catwalk (as they did for Australian Fashion Week 2010) or, at their prettiest, show off lightly feathered, flared trousers. Their imaginative shows at Australian Fashion Week are show-stoppers, looked forward to by many attendees. They have brought together improbable combinations such as dinosaurs and Renaissance Italy; underwater treasures inspired by grandma s closet, including a crocheted octopus hat; and a Marvel Comics-inspired collection that brought cartoons off the page and into the realm of the wearable. Each season, we work with an artist and reinterpret their work as a springboard for our prints, says Sales. This spring/ summer show, that honour went to Perth artist Tanya Schultz, aka Pip & Pop, and her vibrant sugar landscapes, which formed the centrepiece to their catwalk show in April this year. Our collection was our reaction to the girls we imagined would live in this environment, this sugary wonderland. We dreamed up a psychedelic paradise. The collection was based on the idea of metamorphosis, such as from caterpillar to butterfly, but our idea was [essentially] maiden to princess, just like Cinderella. Career highlights: Sportsgirl collaboration in 2008; Cate Blanchett wore their crochet-square dress on the red carpet for the Australian Centre for the Moving Image opening in 2009, the same year they won the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award for fashion and the L Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Designer Award; exhibited in Frock Stars at Sydney s Powerhouse Museum in 2010; created costumes for the Sydney Theatre Company production of Edward Gant s Amazing Feats Of Loneliness in Customers: Those with an artistic bent, especially flamboyant musicians. Famous fans include Nicki Minaj, MIA, Lily Allen and Bat for Lashes. Next: Sales says Romance Was Born is hoping to expand the label internationally, and he is looking forward to an exciting collaboration with one of our favourite national institutions later next year. Best keep an eye out. collection photography: Lucas Dawson 138 QANTAS september 2013

5 Yeojin Bae (below) and her YB J Aime collection Ellery spring/summer 2013/14 (above) Yeojin Bae From the age of four, Korean-born Yeojin Bae says she knew she was going to be a fashion designer, following in her grandfather s footsteps. Eleven years on, Bae was the youngest student, at 15, studying at Sydney s Whitehouse Institute of Design. After graduating, she spent the next 13 years getting her grounding in the industry, interning with designers Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui in New York, and designing for Australian brands Saba and Charlie Brown. In 2006, she knew it was time to launch her own label, and New York department store Barneys bought her first collection. The combination of strength and sensuality is key to Bae s appeal for women there s nothing shouty or overtly sexy about her designs. Her skill with a dress has made this item one of the cornerstones of every collection, but she is also a dab hand with tailoring. Last year, Bae launched a new line, YB J Aime, which has a slightly younger, more bohemian feel, inspired by a French sense of carefree chic with a nod to the late 1960s and early 70s. It s an amazing time at the moment, says Bae. YB J Aime is growing in leaps and bounds. It s cool, edgy, with lots of signature prints and that Parisian flavour I like, and the Yeojin Bae line is romantic, sophisticated and elegant. I m doing the most timeless range of dresses for high summer for Yeojin Bae at the moment. I m really excited to have both brands now in the marketplace. Career highlights: Bae s entire first collection was bought by Barneys in 2006; L Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Designer Award winner in 2007; in the same year launched the Yeojin Bae for Target collection; nominated for the Prix de Marie Claire Designer of the Year Award in 2009; showed at the Audi Fashion Festival Singapore in 2012; headlined Australia Day celebrations in Korea in January this year, with a catwalk show in Seoul that included celebrated model Jessica Gomes. Customers: Bae has a savvy collection of followers, including musicians Megan Washington and Jessica Mauboy, actors Sophie Lowe and Emma Lung, professional catwalkers Jennifer Hawkins, Kate Peck and Jessica Gomes, and also international stars Jennifer Lopez and Dannii Minogue. Next: In addition to the United States and European markets she is already involved with, Bae is looking further afield. I m setting my sights more into Asia, and I ve touched on the Korean market, which is my heritage, and I m hoping to see where I can go in that marketplace as well. Ellery K ym Ellery s label has achieved It Girl status since its launch in The former stylist for Russh magazine says that she appreciates both masculine and feminine qualities in garments and I love to combine the two in my work. She also cites architectural silhouettes and, more recently, draping techniques, 140 QANTAS september 2013

6 Kym Ellery (far left) her garments display both masculine and feminine qualities as being signature aspects of her work. In the past year, Ellery has been embroiled in the so-called store wars after breaking her exclusivity agreement with Myer to sign with David Jones. The case was settled out of court and the designer is currently stocked in both major department stores. Customers: Style setters such as models Catherine McNeil, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Jennifer Hawkins, actors and singers such as Natalie Imbruglia, Eva Mendes and Emily Barclay, and celebrities Dita Von Teese and Nicole Richie. Career highlights: 2008 Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards finalist; Sportsgirl collaboration in 2010; 2011 LMFF Designer Award finalist; in 2012 Ellery took part in G Day USA celebrations in New York and showed a presentation at New York Fashion Week. This year she says, Having Qantas fly Belgian supermodel Hanne Gaby [Odiele] out to Australia for my Fashion Week show was fantastic. Next: I am working on my next collection, which we will show in Paris [this] September. c Glynis Traill-Nash is fashion editor of The Australian