RAFW Day 2 Wrap: Therese Rawsthorne, Sara Phillips, Karen Walker, Antipodium  May 4, 2011

Here is the wrap up of Day 2 at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week from Pedestrian's guest blogger, Thea Basiliou, tastemaker, buyer and owner of Brisbane-based boutique Blonde Venus...

Hi Everyone!

Runway - Therese Rawsthorne
A 9am off schedule show is never an easy start to the day. Therese wisely forfeited gift bags for coffees to make the early start a little easier for her guests.

Sometime over the last year or two, Therese has successfully grown her label from playful pieces loved by teens and twentysomethings to something a little more grown up. This essentially simplistic collection was all about easy summer separates in light tones. Her pale colour palette of cream, peach, camel, lemon and lilac was lifted with a couple of digital prints and thankfully boosted again by some super sunny yellows and a burst of orange.

I liked the orange shirt and shorts set in a matching print teamed with a string tie - a slightly masculine summer suit. I also liked her tailored pieces in the light beige shorts and her orange flared trousers.

Somehow, the polka dot tulle didn't feel like it belonged nor the long black flowing wrap dress that closed the show but smart styling presented the collection well for the woman who is looking for boutique pieces that are relatively understated.

Runway & Showroom - Sara Phillips "Natural Law"
The Cargo Hall was softened by a huge festive botanical centrepiece of Australian natives and and waiting on our seats were individual proteas. A clue I suspect!

Sara's botanical Christmas tree

Sara explored the current reptilian print trend with a series of pieces in grey and black based snakeskin prints and a brown tone crocodile print. The prints were used singularly and combined in shapes ranging from little party dresses, sexy rock chic blouses and skinny silk jeans and floaty caftans.

More unique was the next print which was made up from research into Australian flora and fauna archives from the 1930's and 1940's. This was used as a very pretty all-over botanical print and then also from a more
digital perspective in placement and symmetry prints using intertwining snakes. Sara also did a bold single waratah print in a vibrant blue on white, which was quite striking. These prints were a nice nod to Australiana without falling into a kitschy Ken Done feel.

Photo via Kelly Defina for Fashionising

The print stories were broken up with silk pieces in amber, orchid and blush, jerseys in greys and blacks and linens in red and dusty rose. There was also a strange addition of some difficult beaded pieces with orange shapes on cream which didn't seem to feel right in there.

Dress lengths were relatively short so great for the young party girl and shapes in general were not really making a new statement but again great for the younger party girl.

My favourites were the plain coloured silk pieces like the halter neck jumpsuit and the knee length dress in orchid with a circular cut-out.

We popped back stage, fighting camera crews to get through and visit Team Brisbane as Sara had four Brisbane girls interning with her that are current students and recent graduates from the QUT Fashion Degree. It's an exhausting time leading up to a show as you can well imagine as there is sewing and fittings to be done right to the very last minute. So great work girls! I'm sure that you're time in Sydney will be a memorable experience. [Ed: Thea has been an unofficial and official mentor for students of the QUT Fashion course for years.]

Left to right: Monique White, Bianca Batson, Me, Jacinta Apelt, Holly Janet Ryand and Paloma Kennedy

Showroom - Karen Walker Resort Collection
If you know me, you would know that two labels that I love, love, love wearing are Richard Nicoll and Karen Walker so this was always going to be a good afternoon!

Karen must have heard my cries for "more cotton please". When it's gets to summer here, nothing feels better than easy cotton, and pieces that you can actually wash and not have to dryclean are a necessity.

The resort collection was small but killer with some fun, fantastic colourful pieces that will be perfect for wearing in our high summer. Did I say Boat Pants? You know how I love these! Well they're back in an amazing neon pink as well as this gorgeous navy and yellow daisy print.

If you missed out on something in the uplifiting Derek Henderson Hydrangea print, you will have your chance again with this collection as Karen has brought it back for high summer in some new shapes.

Showroom - Sosume
A more recent addition to the Blonde Venus line-up, this Melbourne based label is working with a luxurious organic modal in super easy basics. More wash and wear!

Designer Alex has grown the collection with more handy shapes and added a nude, a salmon pink and sky blue to the staple black and white. Lots of great shapes here and great to hear that it's all made in Australia!

Sosume winter 2011

Showroom - Antipodium "No Vacancy" Resort Collection
The Resort collection idea and pre-collections is something that has grown steadily in Australia over the last couple of years which makes things a little more exciting for everyone. Instead of just seeing two collections a year, we get four. It's so that designers can keep ideas moving faster and we don't have a chance to get bored with anything.

After the super success of their "Hothouse Collection", Geoffrey J Finch followed it up with another cracker called "Goodbye Horses" which will deliver here staring July for Spring.

Geoffrey has just flown in from London with the collection this week and it was great to see him in person again and hear all the gossip from London and his inspiration for this collection including his fabric research. This collection was inspired by Geoffrey pouring over steamy Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin images culminating in a look that is essentially washed poolside glamour.

So there are sexy smoking/tuxedo shapes but done in a soft stretch washed linen. There are pieces where the fabric has been panelled to emulate pool tiles but done is a soft washed silk organza.

Geoffrey likes to work with other independent designers to create his exclusive prints and for this collection, Sydney based Karl Maier (Rinzen) created a cute and kitsch lobster repeat print on a pale minty green which he has called the Pool Print. Karl also created a fantastic Pebble Print for the coinciding men's collection complete with crawling ants.

The collection colours are black, off white, cream, mint, nude, tan, grape...

Here are some shots of shots - kind of backstage photos while the team were shooting the look book which was photographed by London based Bella Howard.

It can't be all work, no play and later in the evening we caught up with Geoffrey and Antipodium's Australian man on the ground, Melbourne based Frankie Cella, designer Karl Maier and womenswear buyer fromLondon's Liberty store, Stephanie for dinner at popular Sydney eatery Porteno which ended up at last drinks at Surry Hill's Norfolk Hotel...

See you tomorrow!
Thea x