Beaches, wine and scenery are no longer Western Australia’s only draw

WORDS YVONNE TESSENSOHN

StyleAID finale featuring designers and models on the catwalk

Once upon a time, high-end fashion in Western Australia consisted of board shorts, ripped jeans and gypsy skirts. Over the last decade though, WA’s burgeoning fashion scene has been given a big boost by events like the Perth Fashion Festival and StyleAID – a charity fashion event which showcases up-and-coming young designer talent. These days, Australia’s biggest state is brimming over with local designer talent and enough cutting-edge boutiques to satisfy even the coolest fashionista.

Material Boy

Perth’s very remoteness, perched on the south-western edge of Australia, seems to have worked in its favour. “I love the attitude and charming disposition of WA; we live what we love and I design for how I live,” says Misty Pearson, designer of hot young label Elsie-Jean. Mark Reid, StyleAID’s event manager, agrees. “Perth is quite isolated, and designers bring forth their influences from the beaches, greenery and ocean,” he says. “Staying in Western Australia gives designers the ability to pull through what’s local, out of creative necessity.” After 10 years running StyleAID, Reid has witnessed WA’s fashion winds change, and he points out that as people have come to have more spending power, men, in particular, have been wanting to dress smarter – “blokey” jeans and T-shirts have taken a back seat to tailored suits and crisp shirts.

StyleAID finale featuring
designers and models on
the catwalkOne of the hottest of the hot new labels is Material Boy, the brainchild of ex–pro surfer Mic Eaton. His kooky, rockstar-worthy designs most famously include the skinny-legged, baggy-crotched jeans that made their runway debut (and became an unlikely hit) at Australian Fashion Week in 2005. It helps that Eaton’s designs are championed by his friends – including members of Aussie bands Jet and The Casanovas.

Material BoyFor “special event” pieces, check out Preacher by Patricia Hong, one of the only fashion houses in Western Australia to use embroidery as one of its key design elements. The men’s collection is kept classic, with embroidered French cuffs accenting loose suits and shirts; designs for women feature luxurious embroidered silk in Grecian shapes, with a harem sensibility. To show off your feminine side, check out Æl’kemi. Alvin Fernandez launched the label in 2000 and his soft, flowing designs highlight all the right curves, with just a hint of masculine tailoring and structure. Fabrics have customised prints, so these really are oneof-a-kind designs.

Stocking up your underwear drawer? Look for Stewart & McGie’s sensuous lingerie in a vivid mix of colours. Since 2005, Tanya Stewart and Kathryn McGie have been designing lingerie with a twist, inspired by Agent Provocateur, Vivienne Westwood and Alannah Hill. Their work uses an eclectic mix of florals and vintage kimono fabrics, and features pieces which can also be worn as outerwear. And if you’re after something extra special, the duo can also customise lingerie to your taste and tailor it to fit perfectly.

SU DesignPreacher and Æl’kemi are two labels that have their own boutiques, but it’s not just specialist stores that stock the new designers. The Colonnade – a shopping centre in Subiaco, five minutes from Perth CBD – has given a group of emerging designers their own space. Zanthus designer Lisa Chau says, “We were invited by The Colonnade owner Wayne Teo to showcase our collections … after he saw our work in the graduation parade of the Western Australian School of Fashion & Textile.”

The store, Merge Clothing, stocks labels including Zanthus, Story By Tang, Katou, Elsie-Jean, Coercion, Julia Silk (formerly Frozen), Lesser Lantern and Joanie Wong. Reid adds, “Merge is a great group of designers who have had their designs as part of the 2006 StyleAID fashion. ‘Unique’ is how you would describe them all.”

THE LOWDOWN ON THE HIGH STREET

Hay Street, Subiaco
This strip wasn’t always a shopping haven – it was known as a place to stop for a coffee or a midnight snack at the only 24-hour café in Perth, Oriels. Today, though, Hay Street is fashion central. The Colonnade is the main focus, and a great place to start a day of shopping.

Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley
A decade ago, Beaufort Street was a popular after-school hang-out, but in the past five years boutiques like Saints Clothing and Preacher have sprouted up, giving the area an edgier feel. On weekends, it’s crawling with chic urbanites and their even chic-er sports cars.

High Street, Fremantle
Over the past few years, the warehouses and storage rooms lining High Street have been transformed, creating a strip that’s boho for all the right reasons – it’s the place to come to scope out the creations of blossoming designers.

King Street, Perth
For the longest time, King Street was the place for indie fashion, but over the last decade it’s become the only place to go if you want to splurge on designer names like Louis Vuitton and Chopard. In 2006, the cobblestone street was even rocked with the opening of a Gucci store. However, shops specialising in streetwear, grunge and indie fashion have persevered and evolved, and can still be found here.

Where to Find …

Æl’kemi
Suite 16, 401 Oxford Street, Mount Hawthorn +61 (8) 9201 2997

Material Boy
Stocked by Fiasco Carillon City, 1a Murray Street, Perth + 61 (8) 9486 7020

Merge Clothing
The Colonnade First Floor, 388 Hay Street, Subiaco +61 (8) 9380 4397

Preacher
555 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley +61 (8) 9328 6766

Stewart & McGie
Stocked by Deep Odyssey 75A High Street, Fremantle +61 (8) 9430 4833