As the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival comes to a close, Closet Case has been moved and inspired by the local talent, creativity and diversity that arise within our shores. This variety is most obvious during a fashion festival, when the girly colour-play of an Alice McCall dress might follow a sophisticated, Collette Dinnigan gown. Desire for something new, or the willingness to see the new in the already established is our goal this week. We look beyond our usual haunts for something totally unique, that we perhaps had to search for, but that becomes all the more special because of it;
By Bianca Healey
Sydney-based designer Micha Dyball began her label only a year ago, but something about its quality of material twinned with simplicity of spirit immediately had a profound effect. Her label eska alikai was an instant success and is now stocked in boutiques across Sydney, including Splice Boutique and Tuchuzy.
The label also built its name through the modern manifestation of word of mouth; instagram, where a multitudes gathered to share their new find. The innate attraction of leather is at the heart of eska alikai spirit, as well as its form. The structured, minimalist pieces are crafted from lamb and mottled sheep skin, pony hair and suede, ensuring that texture and the individuality of the material remain the focus.
In unison with the launch of an e-commerce site is the launch of the AW ’13 ‘Aeon Flyde’ collection. The pieces were inspired by the Scandanavian winter wilderness- raw earth, snow, and worn stone, evincing a crisp, thoroughly Nordic aesthetic. The stand out pieces? The ‘thane’ long sleeved top in navy softens the thick leather with a drop-shouldered cut, high scooped neck and rippled surface. Another is the ‘flyde’ long sleeve top, which combines cream coloured sleeves with milky hued front and back panels. We image this with pale (or even white) jeans or trousers to work the ‘winter white’ trend.
Shop the collection here:
A shop with two locations in Melbourne is also a label in its own right; Fame Agenda draw individuality from their desire for uniqueness. With this ideal in mind, they design their own prints (a major calling card for the label) and draw on the most unepected of themes when creating their collections. Both the physical shops and e-store stock local and international labels known for their unselfconscious eccentricity, including Lover, Karen Walker and House of Holland hosiery, Antipodium and Romance Was Born.
A little bit strange, yet happy to run with their strangeness, Fame Agenda’s most recent collection is called ‘Donkey Skin,’ which, lets be honest doesn’t conjure up the prettiest of imagery, but, whether or not you delve into the backstory, the whimsical Sea Animal and Golden Fish prints speak for themselves. As do the warm-hued floral prints, reminiscent of Stella’s McCartney’s most recent floral jacquard print.
The most recent collection is inspired by fairy tales, bringing together themes from Charles Perrault’s 1695 French literary work Peau d’Ane (Donkey Skin) with Russian fairy tale Sadko, the tale of a simple peasant invited into the watery kingdom of a sea king. It is from such flights of fancy and studied literary investigation that these striking prints and delicate dresses arise.
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DIAZ was founded in early 2011 in Brisbane by Ana Diaz. As with Karen Walker and Lisa Gorman, two designers who come to mind when surveying the labels blend of cutesy fun with super serious, Diaz evokes a strong vision of the kind of girl these clothes were made for. The DIAZ muse is Molly Ringwald in ‘Pretty in Pink,’ or Scarlett Johansson in ‘Ghost World.’
This is perfectly encapsulated in their most recent collection; ‘STATE HIGH.’ Described on their website as a ‘mish mash of an 80’s/90’s nostalgia where scholastic shapes meet cheeky teen rebel prints’ the vibe is a culmination of American high school clichés (the cheerleader, the nerd, the princess) mixed with an Australian casual cool. Full of bold greens, blues and pinks, these pieces are perfect for a geek-chic look, or a edgy street wear when worn with sneakers.
Our most prized discovery, however, is the custom-made hand painted stick-on nails inspired by the two most current collections. This is the answer to our wildest nail art dreams! Via the site, you can choose your desired print, and you can even leave a note asking for a specific combination.
DIAZ have collaborated with Trophy Wife Nail Art to create the stickers. Trophy Wife is a nail artist who works in Melbourne and can be hired for parties and house calls HERE at her website. So jealous Melbourne!
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