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Afterpay Australian Fashion Week is the biggest fashion event on the Australian calendar.
It’s where well-known and beloved Australian designers show their new collections to everyone that matters: buyers, influencers, the media and general high-fashion-loving Aussies. It’s where emerging designers are thrust onto the scene, it’s where careers take off, meaningful collaborations are celebrated and inspiration strikes.
Fashion force and multi-brand ambassador Rozalia Russian was in attendance — dressed to perfection — with a keen eye on the runway to spot new fashion trends and inspiring fresh takes on fashion’s past.
“I think my favourite show of the week was Oroton,” Russian tells POPSUGAR Australia.
“The set, the colour palette, the ’70s music and of course the clothes… they’ve just had such a big shift as a brand. Oroton five years ago was the place I’d buy my mum a bag for Mother’s Day, and now I look to them for fashion forward looks.
“They’ve had such a big shift to clothing, which has turned the brand around while still managing to stick to its core. Like you still look at it and know it’s Oroton.
“A few pieces I absolutely loved were the green structured evening gown, with two little bows on the bust, the pink mini dress, chocolate brown set and even the robes and 3D floral headbands. I actually loved it all.”
Below, we asked Rozalia Russian for the top five trends she noticed during AAFW and what she thought of each of them.
Colour
“The colours I kept seeing pop up across the entire week were lilac, yellow, green — both mint and lime — quite a lot of burgundy and this beautiful chocolate brown, that I am personally loving,” Russian says.
“Many of these colours reminded me of a ’50s/’60s housewife, especially when paired with the cute cuts of the dresses — seeing a lot of shift dresses and headbands.”
“It just goes to show that everything comes full circle and what’s old is new again. While Oroton went super mod, ’60s and ’70s, Bec + Bridge did something totally different; going super grunge with soft silhouettes, greys, whites and silks, giving a very Kate Moss vibe.”
You can shop these colours online by refining your search to the colour and style you’re looking for. For example, if you’re really keen on a green knit for winter, you can search for one on THE ICONIC here.
Hipster Bottoms
“We’re seeing a shift when it comes to pants and skirts, moving away from high-waisted and everything is sitting on the hip,” says Russian.
“I personally love high-waisted pants. Low-rise is not a style you feel like wearing when you’re not feeling great or a little bloated — which is six out of seven days of the week!
“But I think it’s important to remember that you can take different elements of the runway and style them with what you already have and what you feel comfortable with. I don’t personally think I’ll do the hipster pant or skirt with a super cropped crop top — like we saw so much on the runway — but maybe I’ll pair a hipster pant with a loose shirt. “
“It can be super intimidating looking at an entire outfit on a model walking down a runway, because you can’t always imagine it on yourself. But you don’t have to copy it head to toe! Take elements from it and pair it with something that feels like you.”
Low-rise bottoms are everywhere right now. Depending on the style you’re after, they’re pretty easy to shop for online, but we’ve created a refined search for you here.
Fabrication
“I saw a lot of silk, scalloped linen and lace — I think lace is here to stay,” Russian says.
“It was amazing to see so many different textures within the fabrication, it wasn’t all just one note. Not only was it different between runways, but even in singular outfits, there were a lot of pairing fabrics together to give body and texture to a look.”
You can shop silky goodness until your heart’s content here.
Reimagined Footwear
“I saw a lot of platform sandals and jelly sandals, which were very ’70s but also a bit of Y2K as well, that gave edge to an otherwise classic and simple look,” Russian says.
“The great thing about fashion, especially right now, is that there are so many trends and every brand has their own interpretation of what a trend is. Fashion really is so subjective, and we live in a time where we’re really free to choose our own different style and it’s classified “in fashion”, which is a really great place to be.”
Less Is More
“This was prevalent within both fashion and beauty throughout Fashion Week,” Russian says. “Australians are very laid back compared to the rest of the world, and that sung throughout every show.
“In other fashion weeks around the world, we see a lot of eye make up and super styled hair, but Australian beauty and styling is much more relaxed. We love that undone look, all about the skin, minimal makeup, paired with clothes that are effortlessly stylish. Apart from the structured evening dress trend, most day-time and casual looks were super simple and effortless in their design.”
“When the clothes speak for themselves, there’s no need to overdo the hair and makeup, and I personally love that we really own that natural and relaxed look in Australian fashion.”
