A celebration of Australian fashion featuring a fashion week of world-class runways
Advocating for the mature woman, VICETA WANG walked PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s premium runway, F*** THE INVISIBLE RUNWAY, featuring a handpicked showcase of designers dedicated to empowering women of all ages. Never shying from an expressive colour palette, the Autumn Winter 2024 collection morphed from powder blues and butter yellows to crimson reds and navy blues. A green ombre print also gave a pop colour impression under a deep blue cashmere-fringed cape.
True to the runway theme, the collection drew influence from a female artist who forged her own path in a male-dominated field. The curved, strong lines of the Calla Lily find their reflection in the magnificent world of Georgia O’Keeffe, a female modernist painter who challenged the conventional perception of femininity. By the mid-1920s, O’Keeffe was recognised as one of America’s most important and successful artists, known for her innovative paintings of flowers, landscapes, and abstract form.
VICETA WANG had the honour of dressing the ever impressive Ralph Smith, CEO of Melbourne Fashion Festival. Smith wore a ruffled-covered blue piece with matching armband, distilling an aura of a river goddess.
Keeffe encouraged women to embrace their individuality and express themselves freely. She showed that women could be unapologetically themselves, inspiring women to push through their fears and pursue their dreams, a legacy that continues to empower women today.
In her paintings, O’Keeffe often depicted calla lilies in a highly magnified and abstracted manner, focusing on their forms, colours, and textures. The calla lilies became iconic symbols in her work, that represented a lifetime's exploration of beauty, femininity, and abstraction.
With cashmere knits, silk wool ensembles, cashmere coats, and trailing silk skirt trains floating down the runway, you'd expect nothing less from a luxury brand. VICETA WANG's signature 'wave' design also make a comeback featuring in coat hemlines, a cashmere knit top, and a cashmere knit dress. Long elongated lines were emphasised using draped silhouettes and trailing cashmere fringes, softening the female form while making a conceptual statement.
Credit: PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival
Comments