It’s that time of year once again. Crack open the bubbly, tease those tussles and break the bank; the 16th annual Telstra Perth Fashion Festival is coming back to town. Partnering up with Telstra to bring the hottest names in haute couture to our very own doorstep, the festival will showcase the glitz, glam and gloss of national and international designers at 46 events over six days, from Wednesday, September 17, until Monday, September 22. SHAUN COWE reports.
For those lucky enough to snag one of the limited tickets, the opening night event held at Fashion Paramount, Beyond Imagination, will showcase the extensive French lace, elegant, ornate gowns, dazzling mesh tops and European influence of award-winning Australian designer Alvin Hernandez and his Ae’lkemi brand. Alongside Ae’lkemi will be opulent Indonesian designer Sebastian Gunawan and Dubai-based Filipino designer Michael Cinco.
Of course, the most significant news this year was the tragic death of Perth fashion designer, Ruth Tarvydas. In honour of her memory and celebration of her life, the festival will be holding two runways showcasing some of the most iconic gowns from her 40-year career at Ascot Racecourse. Held at 7pm, on Friday, September 19, the event will offer a peek at the flowing, sexy style of this kingpin of local fashion and will be an absolute, inspirational must-see for Tarvydas devotees. Remember to check out Ruth Tarvydas – A Celebration.
For those who opt to stick around until after the Tarvydas expo, Galvanised – Ultimate Show-Stoppers will be following up. The event will show off big name designers, such as Rebecca Paterson’s punk-inspired, counter-culture label, 33 Poets; glamorous, red carpet designer, Alex Perry; the old world, Eastern European influence of Kathryn Cizeika’s Empire Rose label; the bold and textural work of Manning Cartell and local new kid, Zhivago.
In more big news, gypsy queen Camilla Franks will be presenting her 2014 Spring collection, In The Name Of The Tribe, at the Fashion Paramount on Saturday, September 20. Known for her bright, vibrant palette and narrative inspiration for design technique – where each dress tells a story – this will be a great event for those fashionistas looking to channel their inner love child.
And if you’d like to check out some of these amazing designs but can’t fork out the big bucks, there will be a host of free events across the city. Forrest Place will be hosting Fashion Central, featuring daytime workshops, runway shows and sneak peeks at some of our hottest local designers and up-and-coming models. One of these great showcases will be Restyle Runway, on Friday, September 19, with some of our great local fashion bloggers working with op shop staff to show off some flair using second hand clothes.
Finishing up the festival will be Zhivago’s Equilibrium collection. The cult brand will be combining silhouettes with sex appeal at Fashion Paramount on Monday, Septermber 22, bringing the festival back to its roots of supporting local fashion. If any of these events spark your interest, make sure you check out the festival program, as there are dozens more taking place over the week. Hit up telstraperthfashionfestival.com.au.
