Business GC Ready to Wear S/S 10/11

On a crisp winters night over 200 VIPs descended on the Sanctuary Cove Marine Village to view the Business GC Ready to Wear showcase to mark the beginning of the Sanctuary Cove Festival's week of fashion. You have probably never heard of 'Business GC', don't worry I had never heard of it either until a few months ago when the shop Business GC/The Fashion Incubator appeared in Sanctuary Cove. Business GC is funded by the Gold Coast City Council and is helping develop a sustainable Gold Coast City economy through industry development initiatives and they have decided to branch into fashion! Hence Business GC teamed up with The Fashion Incubator, a non-profit association who provide a platform for local designers to launch and advance their labels.

This was a red carpet, exclusive invitation only event! As I made my way up the red carpet surrounded by luxury Lexus vehicles (one of the Festival's sponsors) to the entrance of the giant marquee, staff were waiting to don your empty hands with a glass of champagne and some very tempting tapas! A sleek and shiny grey runway with crystal blue and electric pink lights shining brightly all around stood proud in the centre of the marquee. It was such a delight to the eye I could not wait for the show to start! The night was to showcase local Gold Coast designers who received a massive step up in the fashion world from this event as none other than the brilliant Fashion Tv was covering the night. I spoke to Aaron O'Donnel, Ftv's charismatic CEO, on the night and he said he is all too happy to support local designers (being a Gold Coaster himself!) and hopefully the Sanctuary Cove Festival will become a staple in our fashion planner! The designers were Indigo Joker, JANIN, Joy French, Leina Broughton Designs, Alexandra Leeb, Lisa Brown, No Formula & Taree Birse.

First up was Kathryn Edmond's label Indigo joker. The designs were a real reflection of Gold Coast culture and the current fashion trends! From gorgeous silk dresses to black mini's with exposed zips. Beautiful fabrics, colours and designs. The collection was a real delight.

JANIN, designed by Aneta Rycombel, made use of lovely silk and sheer fabrics. The garments were made beautifully and are clearly aimed at women looking to add more clean and crisp sophistication to their wardrobe. Aneta has managed to take simple shorts and tops and turn them into unique pieces that scream quality and craftsmanship.

Leina Broughton Designs made use of classic and contemporary cuts at the same time giving it a spin and making it her own. Bold colours and chic necklines paraded the stage leaving you wondering what she would come up with next. Each piece was unique in its own way and it was great to see such a wide variety of garments come down the runway from one designer!

When the music came on for Joy French's showcase I actually let out a little groan as the music was a clear indicator of the rock/punk chick styles that were about to come down the runway. But I was soon eating up my bias, yes the pieces were of the rock/punk variety but..... I loved them! Each outfit was extremely sexy and edgy. I usually find the punk style bulky, bland and well... unisex, but these outfits were amazing. The pieces screamed attitude yet with a feminine edge that makes them wearable for basically any fashion conscious woman!

Alexandra Leeb's collection was immaculate. She did one of my all time favourite things... mixing grey with colour! I must say I am now a big fan of Alexandra's as she produced some amazing outfits. Everything was soft and feminine and I loved the ankle/shoe covers, I would love to get my hands on those. The fabric textures were gorgeous to touch and they were also appealing to the eye. The outfit above with the silver top and black skirt was my favourite outfit of the night!

Sonja Maus' label No Formula with its organic fabrics was edgy, fun and inventive! With lovely colours, exposed zips, off the shoulder tops and gorgeous shorts and skirts the collection was great. I especially loved her shorts with the ties down the bottom and high waistlines. The collection was a fresh new take on day wear for this summer.

Taree Birse's dresses were certainly head turners! Lots of fabric and lots of colour! Some of the dresses were inventively sexy and others were whimsical and almost fairy like. She seems to have a great talent for mixing fabrics and colour. The collection was fun and sexy and I just loved the way some of the dresses ebbed and flowed as the models flew down the runway. Gorgeous.

Lisa Brown's showcase was amazing. It was truly a great way to end the night! Models dancing barefooted down the runway. The flowy fabrics were a whirl of colour and grace as the models twisted and turned in time to the music. Every piece was beautifully made... the fabrics, the colours, the plunging necklines and even deeper backs. Her attention to detail in every outfit was amazing and I loved the accessories that accompanied the outfits! You can see why Lisa Brown is an award winning label!

For more pictures and info on the designers head to my facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Casey-Evans/122857967749771?ref=ts

CLE