St.George NextGen is an initiative that is intended to provide a platform to discover and support emerging Australian fashion designers every year at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia.
Must-see designer this year, Anna Quan was actually apart of the NextGen showcase in 2016, so this show is an excellent indicator of who will be the next big thing. Attendees were in for a treat as the designers in the show brought their A-game.
The St George NextGen show presented collections from four gifted designers including Alissar H, Chris Ran Lin,Of Ro and Gina Snodgrass. Here are some of the highlights and our thoughts on each designer:
ALISSAR.H
Designer Alissar Hammoud expresses her challenge of social orders and traditional class systems through her creations. Specialising in denim she applies different treatments and stone washes to her garments to give them the desired effect.
CHRIS RAN LIN
Hailing from China and based in Melbourne, Chris Ran Lin presented an impressive men’s collection for his label at MBFWA. There was a presentation of high-quality craftsmanship from the detailing to knitwear. From mustard yellows to forest greens, with a dash of vibrant crimson to keep things interesting, Chris Ran Lin was not afraid to experiment with colour.
OF RO
Rachael O’Brien is a fashion and textiles designer and launched her label Of Ro last year. For this collection, she was inspired by satellite images with a collection of dynamic colours. There was lots of weaves, drapery and deconstruction. A vibrant and solid collection, Of Ro pushed the boundaries and definitely made a statement.
GINA SNODGRASS
Gina Snodgrass constantly challenges social perceptions of gender with her clothing. Her pieces included lots of hand embroidery, texture and layering. Male models were dressed in skirts and feminine, embellished tops, whilst women were dressed in oversized, masculine blazers.
Photos captured by Khiera Nicole and Trong Nguyen for The 5 to 9 Life.
