Loose silhouettes, bright metallic colours and tassels were the major trends the department store showcased at its blockbuster spring-summer 2016 collections launch on Wednesday. The VIP crowd, including Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Lance "Buddy" Franklin and Adam Goodes, flocked to Fox Studios for some Neil Perry canapes and a preview of what they'll be adding to cart in the coming weeks.

Embellishment will be this summer's denim cut-off shorts. Romance Was Born – celebrating 10 years with David Jones – stole the show from the outset, opening with sequin-encrusted jackets and shiny, pleated skirts.

"Every woman needs that metallic pleated dress from Romance Was Born," Damian Burke, the new womenswear general manager, said.

A basic little black dress will not get you through the upcoming party season. The gowns of Kit X, Ginger & Smart and Bec & Bridge have bigger personalities than the women inside the The Bachelor mansion. Expect to see, or be seen in, creations boasting bare shoulders, cut outs, knots, trains and bell sleeves as the weather warms up.

"In Paris everyone is very fashionable. In New York everyone is in their gym clothes but here we're embracing creativity and people are getting their head around wearing colour and being a bit more individual," Romance Was Born co-creator Luke Sales said.

The loose, relaxed waistline look will be more popular than Pokemon Go. Oversized shirts by Jac+Jack, wide-legged, high-waisted pants by Viktoria + Woods and backless blouses by Rebecca Vallance mean you can have your cake and eat it too.

There were some predictable elements to the showcase that took five months to curate. Like white for summer, just like last year, and having a pregnant woman – albeit supermodel Gemma Ward – modelling a kaftan.

"You have to stop working at some point during a pregnancy so they [David Jones] got me at the right time," Ward, 14 weeks pregnant with her second child, said.

But there were still some surprises. The front row did a double take as the face of DJs, Jessica Gomes, came down the runway in a blonde wig, derivative of rival Myer ambassador Jennifer Hawkins. The Preatures performed a live set to close the show as Zimmermann's shiny, colourful collection was shown off by Gomes, Ward, Jesinta Campbell and outgoing ambassador Montana Cox. The foursome, resplendent in billowing blouses, Victorian necklines adorned with crystals and flapper skirts, resembled a modern incarnation of The Bangles en route to the Tamworth Country Music Awards – the perfect summer ensemble.