Ginger & Smart have long been the toast of the fashion world but now, thanks to their resort 2017 collection, sun-smart advocates should praise the brand for championing oversized hats for the warmer months.
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The label, a creation of sisters Genevieve and Alexandra Smart, kicked off day two of Fashion Week Australia with hats that would upstage The Flying Nun. In hotels you can activate a "do not disturb" sign and, come spring, Australians can do the same by pulling on a wide-brimmed design by Hatmaker by Jonathan Howard.
The milliner was recruited by Ginger & Smart for its showing of new season resort wear and, if the floppy fedora trend takes off, Flemington may have to expand The Birdcage and hat-loving Jay Kay of Jamiroquai may be coerced out of retirement.
Under the hats were ornate lace swimsuits, light-weight bomber jackets and raffia slides. Sheer pants and colour-popping dresses looked ready-made for the sun decks of Capri and streets of Seminyak.
For the young holiday makers, New Zealand's Georgia Alice showed her first Fashion Week Australia collection, complete with long-sleeved linens, oversized sateen smoking jackets and metallic pantaloons. The show, set in a loading dock, was more akin to Kuta after dark with strobing lights and models moving at a frenetic pace down the runway.
The dark horse of the day was little known label Misha that bought in reality TV royalty-turned-top model Bella Hadid to open and close the show. Established in 2013 by Michelle Aznavorian, the label has earned a cult following among Hollywood stylists whose clients include Jennifer Lopez, the Kardashians and Ariana Grande.
Back home, Myer has been quick to snap up Misha, and it will join the department store's stable imminently. The looks, predominantly in shades of black and blush, varied from sexy to subtle with a few wardrobe staples thrown in.
While Fashion Week is usually a theatrical arena, it was refreshing to see the perfect pair of black pants come down the runway, albeit on an emerging supermodel like Hadid.
Aznavorian's aesthetic also has the answer to every busy woman's most loathed question: "What can I wear to to my friend's wedding?"
Home-town hero and favoured designer of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Dion Lee closed the day with an edgy show sponsored by Bloomberg, 28 floors above ground.
