Burlesque Amore Fashion Finale

I actually wasn't originally going to go to any of the Elsewhere's fashion nights during their month of fashion as I don't like the club scene in surfers and thought it was a strange place to have such an event. But when it came to the finale I had nothing on that week so I thought I might as well go along for a look. I arrived at the event at 10.15pm, the doors opened at 10pm, to a huge line! I was pleasantly surprised that the event was going to be so popular! It was advertised all over facebook which was a great use of the social networking site and they had some very cute and effective flyers. The finale was composed of nine designers who were chosen from the previous 3 Fridays where designers showcased their best designs and were judged by a panel comprising of Andy Wilson (Rufus Green), Julia Kylie (Cubic Collective), Zhanna (Mod's Hair) and Atlantis Dell' Aqua (Absolute Indulgence International). The winning desingers were asked to design an extravigant piece for the Finale with the theme being Burlesque Amore and the inpsiration being Marliyn Manson's song 'We are from America'. I believe this was certainly a strange and somewhat contradictory mix... going from the high octane glamour of burlesque to the dark quality of Manson's song. They were certainly not going to make it easy for the designers! But I tell you what.... I take my hat off to them because they had some great designs! The models used were also professional dancers and did some very high energy, hot and sexy dances throughout the show making it extra entertaining!


Photo courtesy of Vincija Kovac.

This design was by ANE & HAL. The woman behind Ane & Hal is Vanessa Halls who is a 4th yr law student with a real passion for fashion. Vanessa states "Fashion just makes me feel so free, It really gets the creative juiced flowing!". Vanessa has been screen-printing and sewing since high school but has never studied fashion.



Here is a clearer picture of Vanessa's design from her Ane & Hal page.
I asked Vanessa what the story and inspiration was behind her design-
"As soon as we were asked to complete a couture dress for the final I knew I wanted to make a fishtail dress. I've always loved them. They're totally old school Hollywood glamour - beautiful, feminine and really dramatic and I think the black colour really helped being that out. The only thing was that the model could hardly walk in it! I'd also never made and evening gown so it was really enjoyable seeing the finished product."

Regardless of having no piece of paper to 'prove' she knows what she is doing, which she cleary does, Vanessa hopes to proceed with a career in the fashion industry and with her organic talent I certainly believe she can take on the world. I admire Vanessa's perseverance and really enjoy her designs. She is one talented young lady!

Photo courtesy of Vincija Kovac.

Next up was JANIN by the very talented Aneta Rycombel. This was definately the most thought out design of the night and Aneta should be so proud as to how much thought and effort went into this outfit. When I spoke to her about the design she said-
"We all recieved the same song as an inspiration - Marilyn Manson 'We are from America'. The song is quite dark and strong, something completaly different than I usually listen to, so that was a challenge for me to design to that song. I created beautiful version of the devil, so it is like deception. America tempts like an amazing woman but is depraved and bad inside. The fastener on the corset has meaning, usually it is on the back, but I placed it on the front, to show that its all the wrong way. The big collar shows power as America thinks is the most powerfull country in the world."



Aneta did all this with the required burlesque twist! I am so impressed as to how inventive, thorough and creative Aneta is. The detail is certainly admirable and the design was great! Aneta you should be so proud!
The model pictured for JANIN, Riely Saville, is the talented young woman who choreographed the dance for the night which was amazing. Riely is an amazing dancer who's work credit list is as long as my arm! Just to name a few.... she has toured & performed with the Ajkun Ballet Theatre, NYC, where she danced the principal roles of ‘Juliet’ in “Romeo and Juliet” and ‘Murderess’ in “Murder in Buenos Aires” by Michael Mao as well as performing locally with the Gold Coast City Ballet Company. Nice work Riley!

Photo courtesy of Vincija Kovac.

This outfit is by Matt Scott for his own label VINTAGE MAY. I havent managed to speak to Matt in regards to his design which was certainly very unique. I dont know anything about Matt but I did manage to find a little bit about him in the newspaper which I assume was published after winning his heat for the Elsewhere Fashion Month. It says "Matt is a 23 year old Burleigh Heads man who goes completely by his own ideologies and beliefs when expressing fashion design. Scott has been designing for seven years but has only recently launched his label Vintage May". I added him on facebook and had a look at his designs and I must say I like them. Some very hot and fresh T-shirt designs and jeans. If your interested check out his website vintagemay.com. I didn't really understand his design for the finale until I had a look at what he usually designs and now I can see his twist on the burlesque theme. He was also quite lucky to get a dancer/model who was reminicent of Caroline O'Connor as Nini Legs-in-the-Air in Moulin Rouge!

Possibly my favourite design of the night... ASHLEE HART. I adore Ashlee. She is so talented and sweet, a great combination! She is a made to measure designer specialising in silk, cotton and lace who draws inspiration from travel, events and luxurious fabrics from all over the world. Her design was beautiful and really showed it's relevance to the theme and inspiration provided. I haven't managed to get in contact with Ashlee as she is busy getting ready for the launch of Fashion Friday at Temple! Well done Ashlee!

Photo courtesy of Emma Erbs Photography.

This design is by the lovely girls from PAVO TAILS! Erin Davis and Tal Fitzpatrick got together at the beginning of 2010 and successfully applied for a Regional Arts Development Fund to start Pavo Tails-a unique collaboration between fashion designer/seamstress and contemporary artist. The name Pavo Tails refers to the scientific classification (genus) of the peacock... so the name really translates to: peacock tails!
When I asked Tal what their inspiration was behind their Finale piece she said....
"Our finale outfit was inspired by the amount of class Dita Von Teese manages to emanate as a burlesque artists...we wanted to steer away from the classic burlesque look... cloaks and capes are a part of the outfit as they are our 'signature dish'. I designed the fabric pattern which was inspired by Japanese wood block prints and fabrics". The girls have some gorgeous designs with some very unique prints that are very soft and feminine.

Photo courtesy of Emma Erbs Photography.

Their design on the night was lovely. I am a big fan of the cape jacket, I loved the matching gloves and the effect it created and the dress was great! I wish I had a better picture of it for you! Well done girls!

Photo courtesy of Joanne-Jen Leong from LaTDolly Makeup Artistry.

This design is by MELINA HOLLWAY. This is another designer I haven't managed to get in contact with but she has just been interviewed by SEEN magazine and she certainly has a Cinderella tale! Here are some snippets from the SEEN mag's article on the extraordinary designer...

"Last year, a serious car accident left Gold Coast designer, Melina Hollway, severely injured and unable to provide for her family. Hollway, her husband (who was also unable to work), and their two-year-old son soon found themselves homeless. “Our life spiralled out of control in a matter of weeks and we were destitute,” says 29-year-old, Hollway. After one month of desperately trying to find a roof over their heads, Hollway’s sister told her she needed to start designing again. Hollway attributes a girl’s need to be unique as a driving force to her success as a designer. “It seems the more exotic looking and intricate my dresses became, the more people would be asking for them, and it was at this time that I knew people were looking for that different, left-of-centre dress so can they can stand out from the crowd,” says Hollway. "
For the full article go to http://www.seenmodels.biz/news/fashionnews.html

Photo courtesy of Joanne-Jen Leong from LaTDolly.

Melina's design was lovely and I wish I had got in contact with her to find out her inspiration and motivation in regards to this design. The make up was beautifully done by Joanne-Jen Leong from LaTDolly.
Melina was considered as one of the top ten emerging designers at the L’Oreal Fashion Festival, with her entry in the “Spirit of the Black Dress” category. If you see her designs you can certainly see why! Her designs are very beautiful in their own intricate and unique way. Her pieces really are a visual delight!


Photo courtesy of Vincija Kovac.
ALICE NIGHTINGALE! Loved this design! So pretty and so cute yet kind of.... Bride of Chucky! It was great! I spoke to Alice and here is what she told me!

"I'm a busy little 18 year old who graduated from the Australian Institute of Creative Design in 2009 with a Diploma of Fashion Design. I design, patternmake, sew, knit, crochet and pretty much try my hand at anything!

The inspiration for the outfit came from a mix of three things - The song 'we're from america' (our given inspiration), Dita von Teese and the usual alice nightingale 'cuteness'.

My aim was to create this 'perfect', trustworthy doll with a naughty edge, much like the american military. That really refined, wholesome image bursting with secrets and mystery!

I have always been very fond of Dita, she has that amazing type of glamour that I really adore. The type invented in the Thirties. But then there's that under layer of her personality, that girl who stripped for money and fell for Marilyn Manson.

Through all of this, I endeavored to keep the outfit very 'alice nightingale'. Hence the puffy skirt and bows!"

Alice is such a sweety and I love that she really knows her style and what she is going for in regards to effects with her designs. Great work Alice I look forward to seeing more of your gorgeous designs in the future!

Photo courtesy of Vincija Kovac (right).
Another gorgeous, sweet and talented designer... VINCIJA KOVAC.
Vincija's design was amazing. Very dark (Manson) but made beautiful and surreal by the makeup and pearls (Burlesque)!



At one point I could have sworn her model was floating down the runway! Its quite different to Vincija's usual designs which are so vibrant and colourful! Here is what Vincija had to say about her design- "The inspiration behind the final piece was obviously the dark marilyn manson side that we were asked to do but I also wanted to add a hint of vincija with the signiture ruffle look that I have been doing throughout the years. I really like velvet this season so I thought I would do it in velvet".
If you would like to see Vincija's pieces check out her ebay store at
http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/VINCIJA__W0QQ_armrsZ1
"People have offered to stock my label in their shops but ebay just works so well for me that i dont really see the need of going wholesale or atleast not just yet". Nice work Vinny!


And last but not least... ELIZA JAYNE (right). Eliza seems to be elusive! Unfortunately I cannot find anything about her anywhere and I haven't managed to get incontact with her! Nevertheless her design was gorgeous and very creative! As soon as I know more about this pocket rocket designer I will let you know!

All in all I had a good night and it was great to meet the designers and speak to them later. Elsewhere should also be happy as they put on a great show and I found their staff so friendly and polite, even the bouncers had brilliant manners and were professional yet managed to keep the place relaxed and controlled rather than on edge as you find in alot of other night venues, it was great! I have been privy to alot of Gold Coast design talent in the past month and I must say I am more impressed than I ever imagined I would be. Well done to all the girls and Matt for putting on a great show! I wish you all the best of luck! For more pictures check out my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001178530063#!/pages/Casey-Evans/122857967749771?ref=ts
Remeber... Stay Fabulous!
CLE