At the first Fashion Week Australia a fresh-faced Akira Isogawa sent his models down the runway wearing red socks as he couldn't afford shoes for them. On Wednesday, 20 years later, the iconic Japanese-Australian designer paid homage to his low-budget roots and did the same thing.
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Isogawa, the Bob Hawke of the fashion industry for his reverence and timelessness, was the only designer to take part in this year's event who also showed at the first Fashion Week in 1996. While the showcase included many reworked pieces from his beloved archives boasting traditional Japanese tailoring, layering and draping, his new spring/summer 2015 collection was a high-end nod to Harajuku with faces covered in sequins, red adidas trainers and a teddy bear backpack making a cameo on the catwalk. His diverse creative range is testament to his continual commercial and critical success.
While the old guard was taking his bow, the new kid on the block was preparing to make his Fashion Week debut. But the name Steven Khalil doesn't need any introduction. His handiwork is well known in celebrity and bridal circles, but it's the sporting arena where the Sydney-based Lebanese designer shines. Every WAG worth her salt knows that to don one of his couture looks, which start at $10,000, guarantees her three votes on the Brownlow or Dally M red carpet.
His 2015 couture collection featured 24 looks all made from the finest fabrics, including a beaded silk jacquard from Italy. He told Fairfax Media that in between creating red carpet looks for "some new and surprising" clients for the upcoming Logies, he spent "hundreds of hours" finishing his first Fashion Week showcase, with many pieces requiring hand beading, including cocktail and black tie gowns in rich shades of navy and mustard.
His front-row fans, including Zoe Marshall, wife of Dragons star Benji, and Terry Biviano, gave their most animated responses of the week, with Marshall leaping up for a standing ovation after his bride, La Mariee, floated down the runway in an ivory silk gown with full skirt with floor-length beaded veil.
Bride-to-be Jesinta Campbell, who is engaged to Swans star Buddy Franklin, is always the most consistent on the red carpet, thanks to Khalil.
"He's created some magical pieces for me for the red carpet over the years and everywhere I go at the moment I'm finding inspiration for the wedding. We haven't set a date, there's no plans in place but Steven is known for his beautiful couture wedding gowns so I'm always finding inspiration," Campbell told Fairfax Media.
Her stylist, and sister, Aleysha Campbell was equally impressed with Khalil's show and was taking notes for some of her other celebrity clients including Sunrise's Samantha Armytage and Lovechild and House of Hancock star Mandy McElhinney.
"There's not a pin on those models, he just knows women's bodies so well that his gowns just fit so elegantly and beautifully," she said backstage.
