Following another successful iD Dunedin Fashion Show, Jude Hathaway reviews the collections. Photographs by Gregor Richardson.
Once again it was the potent talent that underpinned the iD Dunedin Fashion Show at the Dunedin Railway Station this weekend. There was also poignancy, as the event paid homage to Anzac Day.
This was accomplished by national guest Doris de Pont who, along with international guest the inimitable Doris Raymond, curated two very different collections for the iD catwalk to give the 2015 event exciting extra depth and dimension.
Together Alone Revisited
An apt opening to the show was the presentation by de Pont of garments from a 2009 exhibition, Together Alone, at the National Gallery of Victoria which comprised the work of top Australian and New Zealand designers.
In doing so, she created a fitting reminder of Anzac Day through her thoughtful catwalk presentation.
As well-known songs of the war years played, the models walked behind a flag bearer. From New Zealand there were the labels Doris de Pont, Nom*D, World and Zambesi, while Australia was represented by Akira Isogawa, Material By Product, Romance Was Born and Maison Briz Vegas.
Isogawa was the international guest at iD in 2013 while Carla Berg, who is behind the Maison Briz Vegas label, won the first iD International Emerging Designer premium award in 2005.
The Way We Wore
To end the show, a tangible sense of the glamorous side of big awards nights and other red carpet events in Raymond's home town of Los Angeles was brought to the catwalk.
The selection of fabulous gowns from her store The Way We Wore was a breathtaking line-up covering the decades from the 1920s to the 1990s.
There were fringed and richly beaded flapper dresses, there were generous skirts topped by fitted strapless bodices of the 1950s and gorgeous gowns with draping and bustle-like effects, along with exquisite figure-hugging, heavily sequined styles.
The following are the designer collections in order of appearance:
Company of Strangers
Sara Munro's collections have always favoured tension between the stern and the girly, the heavy and soft, the light and dark.
This time she also played with the wrong and right sides of beautiful fabrics for glossy and dull effects.
She also wrapped up winter with beautiful wool jackets, long coats and oversized cable knitwear with colours of soft emerald, red and dusky aubergine.
Standouts included simple red slip dresses with long sashes. In contrast were skinnies in black, grey and cream plaid, and short, tailored jackets in the same fabric, Not to be forgotten were the COS boots and bags.
Carlson
Tanya Carlson has introduced some old handwriting to her ''Heights'' collection as she looked back to favorite fabrics of more than a decade ago such as Guipure lace, tweeds, plaids and velvets.
A William Morris-like print fabric gave a nod to the '70s, an era often referenced in earlier collections.
But she also introduced new fabrics such as wet-look PVC-coated tweed. She has also tweaked staple overcoat and jacket designs.
A standout was her signature dinner jacket, this season featured in textured blue wool with sequin detailing and a direct link to her rock 'n roll influenced collections such as ''Sweet Child'' (2002).
Eye-catching were her pairing of pink and caramel classic separates while lilting, low-back sensual gowns provided a perfect ending for her show.
NZ Light Leathers Section
The introduction of the New Zealand Light Leathers section this year saw 13 designers take up the challenge of creating a garment of leather using products from NZ Light Leathers in Timaru.
They did well, disarming the audience with outfits that included pants, jackets, hot pants, dresses, bags and brooches in myriad colour tones.
Otago Polytechnic School of Design
The innovative techniques of young fashion design graduates were seen in the presentations by Marc Jun, Simone Watson, Daniel Kwok, Michaela Poots, Kelsi Bennett and Duncan Chambers-Watson.
Capsule Collections (Section 1)
Christina Perriam, through her thoughtful design approach moves readily between country and cityscape with her new Perriam Woman label.
Her outfits ranged from lux merino ponchos to stylish, go-anywhere dresses and separates in to range of fabrics.
It was good to see Christina back on the iD catwalk where she first appeared in 2002.
Debbie Lawson's love of leather, wool and silk and her clever use of zip and buckle detailing again showed in her Deval collection. It was also a reminder that the classy dressiness of Deval can take a woman through the day into the evening.
Through her Liann Bellis label, designer Leanne Greaves goes for timeless garments, her selection for the catwalk displaying her penchant for classic style from feminine dresses, separates and jackets to an appealing practical trench.
Nom*D
Margi Robertson's signature could not have been stronger or more distinct as when outfits from her new winter collection ''Noise'' poured down the catwalk.
There were lilting swagger and fluidity to the long dresses, skirts - including a latter-day take on a traditional kilt - coats and wide-leg pants.
Favourite seasonal garments such as the warm jerseys, the hooded parkas, the basic shirts were also fresh and fabulous.
This season breaking the black colourscape were seasonings of stone and indigo.
Mild Red
It was ''chocks away'' when Donna Tulloch hit the catwalk with her dramatic ''Aviator'' collection. Inspired by her first experience of Warbirds Over Wanaka, Donna's fascination with the event showed.
A swathe of fabrics - mainly in black with smatterings of tan and silver - included hole-punched and coated oilskin-like cotton through to fine and heavy wool knits gave outfits staunch appeal in jackets, tunics and pants.
Feminity came through in the long, draped asymmetrical dresses and tunics. Brass D-links, signature ties and buckled leather bag belts showed the designer's intense attention to detail, while futuristic head-hugging helmets exuded a a kind of
David-Bowie-meets-steampunk attitude.
Charmaine Reveley
Charmaine Reveley's ''Halves'' collection has a tenacious Jekyll and Hyde aspect this season. It targets lovers of simple, classic style.
But it also rings bells for those who like a touch of edge. The opulent gold and black sequin velvet, for instance, came out as a classy, slimline dress.
But she has also created upbeat narrow panelled pants in the same fabric. A vibrant pink plaid bomber jacket and poncho, a black Devore velvet dress were delightful signature pieces, as were the tunics and tops featuring an outsized floral print, this time divided into two halves - of course!
Dada Vintage
Marie Strauss' talent for manipulating simple classic lines to give her range that distinctive Dada dash was evident. Her collection fronted up to this winter through her generously-proportioned wool and Cashmere coats.
Some featured shawl collars and long, tie belts cinched in at the waist while other conveyed chic '60s nuances.
Colours ran from camel, chartreuse and cream to grey and black checks. Adding piquant colour was a vibrantly printed French silk dress which, like other Dada garments, featured big drop pockets.
Capsule Collections (Section 2)
Beats Clothing is street savvy, a marvellous mishmash of stripes, colour-splashed prints and monotones.
It's lashed with an ''out-there'' demeanour that even designer Monica Wilson suggests is ''chaotic''! Jason Lingard is an Auckland designer whose first collection for his eponymous label showed strength in its originality and blatantly Goth disposition.
There are the clever zip placements, the artful cut of a standout leather jacket and the beautifully executed custom-made prints. Kingston designer Jane Sutherland has grabbed the attention of iD audiences at previous shows, where she has shown intermittently since the launch of her eponymous label in 2004.
Jane's love of quality fabrics showed, as did her design aesthetic which leans towards staunch femininity. Her original accessories are the result of her jewellery background.
Shanghai-based designer Jialin Guo (GG) brought originality and fun to the iD catwalk with her light-as-air, often diaphanous pieces in white and a summery nubile green.
These were worn with basic white skinny pants as either garments or accessories, the oversized ruffles and flounces and long overskirts providing dramatic effects.
Storm
The Storm winter collection is rife with tactile textures in harmony with Deborah Caldwell's love of a cool, ''glam rock'' aesthetic.
The range included separates created from faux fur, leather, lace, feathers and low-sheen metallic fabrics. Hot pants and dressy black capes were show-stoppers, as were the narrow leather pants, the fur vests and the snug fur jackets.
The inclusion of more dresses and skirts in the Storm show this year gave added depth.
Once again, the high calibre of design from the seasoned through to the emerging designers was evident, ensuring the success of yet another landmark iD Dunedin Fashion Show.
