When I’m lacking direction, I look to ‘La Dolce Vita’, one of my all time favourite sources of fashion inspiration. The 1960s film introduced the world to Italian fashion, elegance, sexiness, glamour, and quintessential representations of ‘traditional’ masculine and feminine silhouettes. ‘La Dolce Vita’ means ‘the sweet life’ or ‘the good life’ so it made sense that the 2015 Kangan Institute Graduate Fashion Show was entitled as such.
Half a century since the release of the film, the 2015 Kangan Institute fashion students well and truly grasped the theme, and I had to snap myself back to reality a few times after being whisked away to Milan, wrapped up with the detailed, high fashion collections on the runway at Deakin Edge.
Surprisingly, some of my favourite collections came from 1st and 2nd-year students, although Advanced Diploma Graduate Amy Lawrence stole the show – an all white collection softened with delicately hand drawn illustrations of sullen-faced women on the bust of each design. Carla Papa’s collection was a world away and every bit as incredible – with a quality and aesthetic worthy of walking straight off the runway at Milan Fashion Week. Carla’s structured, sharp lines made for a dominant collection, handcrafted entirely of black leather, each outfit adorned with a neat feather headpiece.
Millinery made an appearance with almost every outfit throughout the evening, as did the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry. ‘Poco de qui, poco de la’ featured 2nd Year Diploma Students’ work; a collaboration between Red Cross and Kangan Institute presenting the possibilities of up-cycling with a string of denim dresses, ensembles, woven masterpieces and one full-length patchwork jacket that has my name on it.
And, as with every great fashion event, collaboration was key. The entire student body contributed, with runway hair and makeup by the Kangan beauty students, who displayed a flawless understanding of the night’s overall creative direction.
Considering a career in fashion? Visit www.kangan.edu.au.
The Fashion Advocate x
