Afflatus Magazine: M.A.D Fashion Showcase 2019

Saturday September 7^th brought the 4^th annual MelbourneAlternative Designers (M.A.D) Fashion Showcase. This year’s show happened a bit later than previous years, so I was quite excited to see what the designers and stall holders had in store.

This year’s show was in a new venue; Meat Market. I had never been to the Meat Market before, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. This historic venue used to be the hub for Melbourne’s wholesale meat businesses, but has since been transformed into an arts and culture venue. A large warehouse, it had more than enough space to house the fashion show, but it didn’t feel sterile and soulless. Cobblestones lined the floor, with decorative and historic edging all along the ceilings, this venue has a soul to it, one that comes to life when people are inside.

The showcase had set their market out on the cobble stones, with rows of tables taking up the main cobblestone pavilion, and more stalls set up in the bays around the edges. This meant there was comfortable space to move, but they still have the option to grow in future years and use more bays.

The marketplace showcased a wide range of Melbourne artists, with a whole range of wares, from headpieces, to jewelry, wooden decorative pieces, and clothing from each of the designers on the runway. Everyone seemed to really enjoy mingling and checking out the marketplace, which was made easier as the music played wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t hear anyone. It was a comfortable background noise that added to the ambience of the evening.

Next to the marketplace Aerial Rigs Melbourne had set up a Lyra, and was providing champagne pours. During intermission the performers (Aleisha Manion and Merryn Louise) did a short routine, showcasing their strength, flexibility, and control on the hoop. It was a beautiful performance, made the more stunning with costumes by Clockwork Butterfly. Afterwards they set up their champagne bucket and awaited to pour bubbly for people from the hoop.
Pictured performer: Aleisha Manion

I love this idea, it’s such a fun extra to getting your drink, and shows off the aerial art. The only downside was you needed to buy a drink ticket from the bar, and then give it to the aerial performers. This wouldn’t be so bad, but the line for the bar was very long. Perhaps in future they can have a separate space to buy drink tickets for the pouring, or something to make it easier; but I don’t know the legalities around what that would entail so it may not be possible.

On the opposite side of the marketplace M.A.D had set up a photo-op with a crescent moon prop that people could sit on. It reminded me of old Victorian theatre and tableau vivant. It was a fun area that models and patrons were using. My only concern was the area was a bit dark, perhaps some extra lighting could be set up in future.

Now for the show itself! The runway was an upraised platform this year, with seating lining either side, and at the end. Mr. Marmalade returned to M.C the evening, and provided humorous entertainment throughout the night.

The show opened with a performance by Aurora Flair, who mesmerized us with a fabric fan dance. As she moved the fans, long flowy fabric danced about her, creating beautiful shapes; hiding and revealing Aurora. It was a great way to start the show, to get people built up and excited to see what was to come.
Outfit - Celestial Closet
MUA - Rowan Swart

The first designer to walk the runway was Custom Creations by Anntoinette, showcasing a collection of fairy-tale inspired fantasy costumes. Suitable if you have a fantasy event upcoming, or want to live out your fairytale fantasy with a photoshoot. The outfits were well designed and made; a combination of historical silhouettes, and subtly textured fabric, created a unique take on each of the characters. Every outfit had subtle extras, such as beading, buttons, trimming, that may not be noticeable at first, but definitely elevated the outfits. My favorite from this collection was, I believe, a Beast or Dark Forest inspired costume. Consisting of a white shirt, black slacks, and blue top, it might not be as impressive as Snow White, but I adored the thorn details over the shoulders and the single rose on the back. It was a detail that took me by surprise and made me fall in love with it.

HMUA - Alive Creations

Jacqulyn Evans

Kiara Imogen

Chris Colefax

Shaun Connor

Shaun Connor and Heidi Roleff

Heidi Roleff

Anntoinette Holt

The second designer in show was Intimdation, showing a collection of streetwear. These outfits reminded me of Asian streetwear, outfits you would see on Kpop groups. This collection was centered around vests, with each model showing off a different cut. All the outfits had pockets galore, a staple of Intimdation’s designs, making his clothing practical. And as usual all appeared very well made. They would be perfect for everyday wear, creating a look that is unique, but won’t make you feel out of place. My favorite outfit was a white vest over a black dress, the contrast colours worked well together, and the fabric of the dress was interesting with its symbols.
HMUA - Timothy Ng

Zora Zhu

Danny Fischer

Michael Navarro

Front to back: Designer Tim Ng, Zora Zhu, Danny Fischer, Michael Navarro

Following was Wiked Sparx, showcasing a range of clothing and accessories they make. Firstly there were the more classic alternative fashion of corsets and bustle skirts. Made from blacks, blues, and purples, these outfits would suit any alternative dresser wanting to go out. I felt the stronger outfits of the collection were several netting-like garments draped over the bodies of the models. At first glance, they appear to be just netting, but looking closer there are intricate patterns and weaving of natural fibers. These garments are definitely for performers, photoshoots, and adult events, as the body is visible underneath. But this allowed Wiked Sparx to show off pasties they make, such as ones made from peacock feathers, which matched the headdresses worn. My favorite outfit was a white knit-lace, with a feathered mohawk-like headdress. The look as a whole brought to mind a unicorn, and the garment itself had tighter weaving around the torso, whilst becoming loose and flowing down the limbs.

MUA - Jesse Richard
Models - Montana Rose, Rachel Leopard, Lucifer, Mazz

Lysa Rose

Cammy

Kitesa

Anna Phalaxas

Jesi Faun

Up next was Creature of the Night, with a collection of classic alternative and gothic outfits. Reminiscent of the early 2000’s gothic fashion, these outfits are perfect for the alternative person who wants to stand out against the world, and fit in with their own group. All in classic black, the use of different fabrics, from leather, to cotton, to pvc, meant each garment stood on its own and kept their shapes, rather than becoming a black blur. Each silhouette was unique, and accessorized with hardware, harnesses, or headdresses made by Creature of the Night as well. My favourite outfit was a cardigan and pant combo, which may not sound exciting, but the addition of ‘belts’ and hardware to the garments elevated them to be alternative. Paired with a harness, collar, and horns, the whole look gave a gender-bending demonic feel.

I was also pleasantly surprised with one of the models walking with a cane as a mobility aid. It was fantastic to see that representation up on the catwalk.

Rosie Roulette

Emilee Mclean

Miss Cassicat

Hannah Goretti

Belial B'Zarr

Shaelyn Wood

Finishing up the first half of the show was Lyris Design, returning with elegant corsets and gowns. These gowns are perfect for evening events, parties, and photoshoots. I had seen a lot of this collection online through Lyris’ social media, but seeing them in person shows off all the hard work and detailing she puts into her garments. Each piece had a unique silhouette, with this year featuring several shorter dresses, which is a change for Lyris who is known for her gowns. But even though they were shorter, they still held just as much bead work, and detailing as the biggest gowns. My favourite piece was a black gown with gold lace. The gold applique covers the torso, hinting at the black beneath, and then becomes more open and finishes asymmetrically down the leg, giving way to the black gown. It looks like the gold is growing over the dress like moss, and this look is further implemented by golden rocks/gems seeming to grow out of the top of the dress and on the hip.
MUA - Miss Twisted and Vivien Katherine

Hair - Lou McLeod

Angeline Bubsy

Silhouette d'Amour

Vivian Katherine

Sasa LeStrange

Jeshua Wilson

Miss May

Hanna Jade

Dani Fischer

Miss Twisted

Intermission followed, and we returned to a magic performance by Mr. Marmalade. This magic trick involved audience participation, a tricky element that could either go well or go incredibly wrong. Luckily, it was the former as Mr. Marmalade kept his show on track with quick wit. His magic trick involved knowing lines a Sherlock Holmes book from a random page. The trick was a difficult one to show to such a large room, and involved several layers for the final reveal/gag, but it was fun payoff. Following this was the raffle, with the proceeds going to the Fly By Night bat clinic. Last year the raffle took up quite some time, so this year it was streamlined, with people calling out if their ticket was drawn, and then picking up their prize(s) after the show.

The first designer in the second half was Celestial Closet, showcasing a new collection of headdresses inspired by the elements. These headdresses ranged from her simple and classic shapes, perfect to add to a gown or outfit at an event, to more elaborate and complicated pieces for the more eccentric to wear out or for a model during a shoot. Each headdress was unique, and showcased Celestial’s skills working different materials into millinery, such as lace and metal. Each model wore a simple dress, color matching the headdress, which was a smart decision as it gave each model an ethereal feel, but kept focus on the headdresses. My favorite piece was the element for earth. The headdress was made of green lines, criss-crossing and overlapping each other, creating a circular shape, but still being able to see through the headdress. On it were flowers and leaves, which gave the headdress the appearance of having been formed from a plant or vine.
MUA- Rowan Swart

Hair - Molly LV Art

Aurora Flair

Samantha Obouhoff

Karinya Adelina

Irene Ruth Tugaga

Mini Webb

Moritanriko

Miss Kelly Deluxe

Rowan Swart

Katherine Hymer

Following on the runway was Scarlett Creations, showing a collection of dresses and gowns perfect for an evening out. The collection was colorful, and each garment had fabric that could hug the body where needed, but draped and flowed, creating beautiful shapes as the models walked. There was also a range of how attention grabbing the dresses were, from a simple yellow dress that would be lovely and blend with a crowd, to a pink/red corset with large pink skirt that would bring all attention to the wearer. My favorite piece was a purple dress that hugged the torso and twisted at the back, but had a full, layered skirt which swayed mesmerizingly. My only disappointment with it is some edges weren’t hemmed, but I could only see after the fact in photos and on the night it blew me away.

MUA - Tia
Leather Work - Count Laszlo Leather

Jacinta Marris

Letitia Pullen

Kylie-Ann Pine

Rachel Turnbull

Clare McGeever

Louise Charlotte

Front to back; designer Katariina Kalev, Jacinta Marris, Letitia Pullen, Rachel Turnbull, Kylie-Ann Pine, Clare McGeever, Louise Charlotte

Up next was Quokka Pockets, showing off their collection of everyday wear. A newcomer to the M.A.D show, this did show in their presentation a bit. It started out in the dark with a light-up poi performance, which whilst it was entertaining it did go for slightly too long. But once they began showing off their garments, it was a fun presentation. Quokka Pockets may look like simple everyday clothes, but they strive to give women what they want; pockets. And pockets they deliver. Their catwalk consisted of models pulling items out of pockets, and putting them in; there were so many pockets and so much space in the clothing! My favorite outfit was a black jacket, it was a simple straight cut, perfect to wear when heading out of the house, especially with the deep hidden pockets in its sides.

MUA - Simone Lyons Artistry

Cufflinks - Lewis Noonan
Models - Heidi Roeloff, Jacqulyn Evans, Mia Lu, Rina Chapman, Robin Litvins-Salter, Shaja Foster-Ho, Vanessa Ernst, Viv Mah

Bringing an end to the evening was Victoria Edgar, specializing in metal wearable art. These pieces are definitely not for wearing out (unless you’re going to somewhere like the Met Gala), but would look beautiful in exhibit or on models in photoshoots. Each piece has such intricate work, some with larger sheets of metal, and other with fine lines swirling around each other. From works on waists, chests, and head pieces, each piece shows the skill and love Victoria has for her work. These pieces were worn over black couture by Jasmine O’Keefe, which helped bring a complete character to the works, but not draw attention away from the metal work. My favorite piece was a large chest piece of silver colored metal, with the center colored blue, and a gem hanging from the bottom.

Stylist - Scarlett Edgar

Sefideh Agahzaman

Brie Rosethorn

Lindsay Davidson

Claire James

Lindsay Davidson

Lucy Luxburn

Nadia Kelly

Zakkary Edgar

The end of the night brought the close to another M.A.D Fashion Showcase. I have been attending these since the beginning and it has been a pleasure to see how they change and improve every year. This year has definitely been the best event, the Meat Market is the perfect venue with enough space to expand, and close to the city. Congratulations to the M.A.D team, and to the designers on the runway. I look forward to seeing you all at future events.

Written By: Dezmin Humphryis
Photography: Slippery Photography

Models: if you are not credited underneath your image, please let me know which photo is of you so I can correct it.

Thursday, 12 September 2019

M.A.D Fashion Showcase 2019

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