The 2011 Graduate Showcase revealed a new generation of designers who are experimental and explorative in their style. Alice Blackwood reports from the runway.
March 17th, 2011
There was a touch of whimsy and a fleeting sense of fantasy to the Graduate Showcase parade at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival.

Genevieve Kulesza
Twelve emerging fashion designers were selected for the show, their collections tapping into themes of high fantasy and Gothicism one might associate with cult classics such as The Labyrinth and Where the Wild Things Are.
Colourful patterning in soft, warm hues and strong geometric lines (White3) featured heavily, those bright, eye-drawing elements strongly reminiscent of the dreamy bohemian style of renegade label, Romance Was Born.
Threaded throughout was a strong sense of the handmade, expressed through intricate cuts and hand-drawn patterning and prints (Kate Watson and VW406).

Kate Watson
A series of structured men’s jackets and pants were juxtaposed against swirling dresses and skirts (Ana Diaz), as well as sheer layers (Kate Sala). Huiee infused kimono elements into the collars and lapels of men’s jackets, adding large, stiff bows to further accentuate the theme, while softening the overall effect.

Ana Diaz

Ana Diaz

Kate Sala

Huiee

Huiee
But nothing could beat the collection debuted by Celene Bridge, whose models strutted down the catwalk with intriguing animal heads, oversized bear paws, and delicate skeletal pieces attached to their fragile frames.

Celene Bridge

Celene Bridge
Stand-out fashion designers to watch include: Sarah Mok, Ana Diaz, Kate Sala and Celene Bridge.
Hero Image: Ephemeral Reverie. Photography by Lucas Dawson Photography
L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival
lmff.com.au
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
From the spark of an idea on the page to the launch of new pieces in a showroom is a journey every aspiring industrial and furnishing designer imagines making.
Welcomed to the Australian design scene in 2024, Kokuyo is set to redefine collaboration, bringing its unique blend of colour and function to individuals and corporations, designed to be used Any Way!
For Aidan Mawhinney, the secret ingredient to Living Edge’s success “comes down to people, product and place.” As the brand celebrates a significant 25-year milestone, it’s that commitment to authentic, sustainable design – and the people behind it all – that continues to anchor its legacy.
London-based design duo Raw Edges have joined forces with Established & Sons and Tongue & Groove to introduce Wall to Wall – a hand-stained, “living collection” that transforms parquet flooring into a canvas of colour, pattern, and possibility.
“For its 2nd edition in January 2009, MEUBLE PARIS, the Paris event devoted to furniture in all its expressions, will bring to get her an exhaustive , international , high-quality ofer spread out over more than 80,000m2.
“The evolution of our lifestyles is happening faster and faster, generating new relationships to the home, and modifying the perception of furniture and above all, its use. Decompartmentalizing, multifunctionality, and adaptability are the key words for the current offer, with growing demand for new forms, greater quality, more creativity and personality. Welcome to MEUBLE PARIS!”
Melbourne lighting designer, Volker Haug, is flicking the right switch in the design world with his wacky creations.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
GroupGSA delivers MUFG Pension & Market Service’s Sydney HQ with a dual Japanese–Australian identity, blending precision, warmth and workplace flexibility.
Founded by Ana Ćalić McLean and Josh McLean, In Addition is a design studio creating thoughtful, client-focused architecture and interiors.