A Coming of Age: AFF 18 BNKR Runway

What do you think of when you think BNKR? For me, BNKR has always taken itself a little bit too seriously.  The colours neutral, the silhouettes sharp; the outfits on each mannequin in the window impeccably styled to appeal to each new wave of Adelaide’s young women. And at any event, it was a game of I Spy to find an outfit that wasn’t identifiable as one of the brands purchased at BNKR. However, for those who would consider their style the antithesis of the traditional BNKR brand, I will say this about Friday’s runway at AFF: BNKR has bloomed in to something new, fun and fresh.

I recently got back from a short stint in Denmark. After observing Danish style in both Copenhagen and Aarhus, I would argue that it is no longer the French who are the authority on what to wear, but rather the Scandinavians. Instagram fashion icon and stylist Hanna Stefansson is a great example of this. Her style is bold, colourful, loud – effortlessly mixing vintage pieces with accessories from cult brands like By Far Official and Ace & Tate. And then if we turn to Scandi designers, Acne Studios has always been a perennial favourite but it’s newcomers like Baum & Pferdgarten and Ganni that are at the forefront of some of this season’s most exciting silhouettes and coveted looks. And on Friday, BNKR took a leaf from the Scandinavians and managed to make me feel excited again about Australian high street labels.

The show was just fun; a cacophony of colour, clashing prints and playful layering, each outfit a mini couture capsule with an achievable price tag.  The shoes were particularly exciting. Jaggar have really worked to become the vanguard of modern, edgy shapes: square toes and knife point mules that nobody else seems to have been brave enough to embrace entirely yet.  The New Romantic era made a loud comeback; big, puffy sleeves and club dresses.  There was room to play with styling further: but this seems to be what BNKR are encouraging. Layer. Add too many necklaces. Mix and match. Embrace vintage silhouettes. And most of all: don’t be scared to push it further and have fun.

Photography by Wade Whitington Photography

 

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