Sunday, May 5, 2013

Canberra unveils fashionista underbelly - Perth Now



bogong


Alice Sutton has used Bogong Moth "cocoon shapes and wing line aspects" in her designs, shown at Canberra's Fashfest.




IT'S usually wise to separate clothes and moths but one young Canberra fashion designer has embraced the flying critters.



Alice Sutton is among local designers launching collections at Canberra's inaugural fashion week - Fashfest - which opened on Wednesday night, with sold-out shows until Saturday.


Sutton's fashion label Edition draws inspiration from uniquely Canberra landscapes and its creatures including the life cycle of the Bogong Moths, which invade Parliament House each spring.


"There's cocoon shapes, and wing line aspects," she told AAP.


"Everybody hates them, I thought it would be fun to look at them in a new light."


Her new collection, which channels the Yarralumla brickworks, one of the earliest construction projects in Canberra, will be unveiled on Friday.


Fashfest organisers have transformed a construction site for luxury accommodation at Canberra's airport into a temporary nightclub-like catwalk.



bogong moths


Designer Alice Sutton's label Edition draws inspiration from uniquely Canberra landscapes, including the life cycle of the Bogong Moths, which invade Parliament House each spring.



"Canberra's in the middle of Sydney and Melbourne, people usually have to travel to get a taste of this," organiser Clint Hutchinson told AAP.


"There's so much local talent here in Canberra that doesn't usually get the opportunity to shine on a stage."


Behind the scenes models sporting Baku bikinis are huddled by heaters, wearing ugg boots and dressing gowns as they try to ward off hypothermia on a frosty late autumn night.


"It's bloody cold ...We're on stage for five minutes and then we can come back and rug up again," model and university student Doris Gong told AAP.


One warms up instantly looking at the brightly coloured giraffe, seahorse and bird prints of Perpetually Five designer Mitch Thompson.


Mr Squiggle art sessions with primary school kids fed into his creative print-making process.


"It's clothing for fathers that interacts with their children," he said.


German born, Cooma-bred model Anneliese Seubert, who calls Canberra home, stole the show in a gold-sequinned mermaid green tulle ball gown by Vicky Kidd-Gallican's Rockstar and Royalty label.


Seubert began modelling in the nation's capital as a schoolgirl in the 90s before Paris runways and international Vogue cover shoots beckoned.


Five months ago she gave birth to her first child, daughter Camille.


"It's lovely to be back where I started, it's come full circle," she said.



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