MYER’S AUTUMN/WINTER OFFERING IS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED AND READY FOR RACKING…
(Click here for full review and backstage video report from The Age/Sydney Morning Herald. Photographs here, Lucas Dawson including main photo, top: Voxfrock’s fave, Kate Peck, rocks a flirty Alex Perry gored flipskirt and banded crop top. Tres chic!)
Bombshell Jennifer Hawkins came out swinging, front and centre of a 40-strong battalion of models in Myer’s autumn-winter collections launch show last night. Breathtakingly chic in tight white Toni Maticevski trousers and slung jacket, sparkling bandau top and flopped felt hat that chimed with the season’s hyper-elegant 1970s mood, Hawkins’ appearance re-affirmed her place in the Myer hierarchy for the eighth year. “There is no doubt Jennifer is the face of Myer,” said Daniel Bracken, Myer chief merchandise and marketing officer. He said speculative gossip whipped up around Hawkins’ future after the store’s hugely successful “Find Wonderful” campaign in October, was unfounded. “It was a moment in time.”
Hawkins’ pale beauty was a neat fit with the collections’ sophisticated new proportions, clean lines and architectural silhouettes. “There’s a “preppy” vibe coming through,” she said later, “And, it’s beautiful to wear; it feels really luxe.”
Flared and bell-bottom trousers, below-the-knee and midi hemlines, jumpsuits and culottes; all trends that have pecked around fashion’s mainstream for several seasons, were shown as directional looks for this one. Fabrics were often thicker than usual: fleshy pontes, stiff neoprenes, less-than-buttery leathers, and some blanket quality wools. “They hold their shape,” said Myer’s group general manager of apparel, Karen Brewster; “So work particularly with the (1970s) manstyle looks.”
In below-knee pencil skirts and tailored jackets (Yeojin Bae, By Johnny) for example, their effect was a sharpened, graphic silhouette likely to flatter most figures. In menswear, Melbourne designer Arthur Galan also cleverly exploited the sculptural nature of a particularly thick neoprene in an eyepoppingly red duffle jacket and a vivid, cobalt blue biker jacket. (Incidentially, both swivel colours for winter.)
Myer’s brace of menswear brands including M.J.Bale, Politix, Autonomy and AG showed trends are moving at their usual glacial pace: the usual slim-cut single-breasted suits, a slight resurgence of denim and textural mixes of deep, pudding colours in casualwear car-coats, fly jackets and scarves. But, a small, thrillingly directional blip was one Carnaby style navy pinstripe suit by M.J.Bale, cut slim, tight and eight-button double breasted. A rich mash of textures and colours by newly acquired Scotch and Soda was also worth noting.
Scotch & Soda
Myer’s stable of international labels is ever impressive, this time with hyper-colourful, jumpy little groups shown by new acquisitions Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto, Preen, and the New York based Australian brand Tome. According to Daniel Bracken, a good crop of internationals is a vital response to a well-travelled, knowledgeable consumer. “We think like an international business,” he said. “So we have the best, world class designers, including Australia’s: Toni Maticevski, Alex Perry, Sass & Bide, Kym Ellery, Yeojin Bae…” He says now, more than ever, the continuing influx of international retailers such as Zara, TopShop, Uniqlo, H&M etc. means: “Everyone has to step up their game.”
One brand that tracks particularly well against its high street competition, according to Karen Brewster, is locally manufactured youth brand Cue, bang on trend in last night’s show, with a group of mini frocklets: bell-sleeved, A-line, cut in graphic 1970s-esque patterns with slim black trousers underneath. “Cue is extremely innovative,” she said, “They’re often a year ahead of the high street.”
About 350 guests including many of Myer’s frontrack designers and brand identities; Yeojin Bae, Alex Perry, Kym Ellery, Napoleon Perdis, Arthur Galan and Kate Sylvester among them, watched the show with CEO Bernie Brookes from bleachers steeply banked on one side of Myer’s exotic Mural Hall. Mechanised vertical panels flanked the silver runway, switching from black to white and back in rhythm with models as they stormed in and out. A sleek, simply styled and strikingly modern set for a strikingly modern collection launch.
Janice Breen Burns, jbb@voxfrock.com.au (VOXFROCK’S REGULAR CHEESE! ROUNDUP OF THIS WEEK’S PARTIES HAS BEEN DELAYED.)
