A solitary man clad in a sparkling silver jacket opened the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival Gala Runway, playing a grand piano to the hundreds of eagerly waiting guests.
The striking models entered the stage, surrounding the piano, before taking off down the extensive runway. Presenting collections this evening were Bassike, Bec & Bridge, Camilla, Camilla and Marc, Christopher Esber, Jac + Jack, Jack London, KITX, Manning Cartell, macgraw, Scanlan Theodore and Viktoria + Woods.
Synths and thunder began joining the piano as the soundtrack for the models to walk to, preparing us for the dramatic clothing of AW17. This season is all about the luxe fabrics; think loads of draped silks, tailored velvet and sweeping chiffon. Emphasis is put on the sleeve, with everything from bell, wide, split and tapered making appearances in most collections.
Channelling cult label Discount Universe and taking inspiration from Gucci‘s latest collection, patches and embroidery are the latest way to amp up your denim-on-denim look. But don’t stop there, as embellishments are making an appearance on everything from bomber jackets to sheer crops.
Everything this season is exaggerated; why have a low back when you can have a plunging back, a knee-high boot when you can have a thigh-high, one patch when you can have six. When shopping for those on-trend items to amp your wardrobe up, look for anything that’s just a little over the top and you’ve got yourself a key piece.
Red is a colour that made reoccurring appearances in many of the designers collections, be it a tailored jacket, cute boot or silk scarf. It’s also been popping up in loads of street style galleries throughout VAMFF too, worn by bloggers like Melbourne sisters Twice Blessed and Dasha Gold of The Trendspotter.
For a fun make-up look, try the glitter lip on your next night out. Made viral by British makeup artist Pat McGrath, Priceline make-up director Rae Morris put her own spin on the trend and sent models down the VAMFF runway sporting glittery red and purple lips.
Images: Lucas Dawson
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