Aimee Johannsen won the #WritewithDJs competition held as part of David Jones’ The Fashion Project. This is her first post as guest contributor for DJSTYLE, covering the Romance was Born show at Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF).
After nine days of runway shows, countless hours spent scrolling Instagram, late nights and an email inbox full of Uber receipts you’d rather delete, VAMFF 2015 came to a close with Romance was Born presenting their AW15 collection at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Entering the grand hall was like stepping through a Narnia wardrobe door and entering a cool, damp bushland filled with sinus-clearing smells of eucalyptus, cicada noises and chandeliered gum leaves. This is the scene that greeted 200+ well dressed guests as they left behind a loud, bustling city on a warm Sunday night.
To sum up the entire show in a few words, it was Neo-Australian Folkloric. In dresses, romantic silhouettes populated the runway, crafted from floaty lace and silk with dropped waists and dipped back hems. Digital prints came in the form of native flora and OG Snugglepot and Cuddlepie illustrations, injecting some delicate femininity to the collection.
In contrast, shapes and fabrics went the other way – honouring tomboy sportswear with masculine hockey jerseys and basketball shorts, bomber jackets, bold black and white branding, ostentatious embellishments and plenty of mesh fabrics. These polarising themes married up on the runway with models dripping in layers of over the top gold chains and heavy jewels – each look equal parts royal and thug.
My picks from the show: