Review – SA Designer Showcase and Emerging Designer Award

Walking into this high glamour event in dressed down heels, black skinny pants, white tank and vintage jacket I felt a little like Anne Hathaway’s character from The Devil Wears Prada.

What makes you think I’m not interested in fashion?

Bonython Hall was transformed from dreary place of University graduation ceremonies to a high fashion venue where you could easily imagine Anna Wintour or Rachel Zoe finding their front row seat.

The event started with collections from the finalists in the SA Emerging Designer Award. Featuring Orbin, Namoi, Morning Theft, Thembekile, Willow & Grace, Casper + Pearl and Georgia Guy.

If this is what is coming through in the emerging designer space then there are exciting times ahead. The range was impressive spanning from high-end casual to event wear. I was blown away by the innovative use of colour, fabrics and design to bring together new and unique looks.

Local industry experts made up the judging panel and hailed the chic yet accessible designs of Georgia Guy the victor. Georgia Palmer, the force behind the label, is no stranger to excellence in her field, also taking out the 2011 TAFE Fashion Design Course Student of the Year. She has managed to keep up this trend of standing out through creating pieces that, while they seem basic, are sneakily fashion forward, making them the kind of clothes that you would love, wear, wear again and again and cry if they somehow got ruined.

The event then pressed on with the SA fashion showcase featuring local established designers including Cameo, Necia, Keepsake, Yvonne Faye, Jaggar, Finders Keepers, couture+love+madness, Liza Emanuele, Malachi Empire and last but not least, local fashion veterans George Gross + Harry WHO.

Models sporting black cropped hair and electric blue eyes stomped the catwalk showing off the best that SA has to offer. Local favourite Liza Emanuele displayed feminine yet structured designs, while Kirsty Irwin’s Jaggar provided understated edgy pieces that you could easily imagine on a celebrity in their day-to-day life.

A special tribute presentation was shown for George Gross + Harry WHO’s forty years in fashion celebrating their long and successful international fashion career. This was followed by their collection and the absolute stand out piece of the night, a beautiful and intricately beaded gown that would probably cost more than my car.

This event did not disappoint, delivering in all aspects that I can imagine you would want out of a fashion event. Now I will just need to scrape together enough money for my new found interest in local designs to transform from a “before” to an “after” picture.