MBFWA AJE RESORT 20

Photo credit: Lucas Dawson

                                MERCEDES-BENZ Presents AJE

For outsiders, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is a folly look into fashion, but for those who live and breathe it, it is a world where spectators and lovers of fashion are transported into fantastical landscapes and stories. And none other more fantastical or spectacular than the natural vista in front of invited guests at the opening of this year’s fashion week in Sydney.

Held on the docks of the historical Campbell’s Stores at The Rocks, white marques canopied  over what would be the longest runway ever constructed for any opening night, allowing the 650 invited guests to view the breathtaking scenery of both the Harbour Bridge and the iconic Opera House in one endless take.

How fitting this stage is set, for best friends and partners in crime, Adrian Norris and Edwina Forest’s label, Aje., an uniquely Australian fashion house that prides itself in its heritage, and its country which is a continual source of inspiration for their coastal and urban stylings.

Titled ‘Bloomscape,’ their latest Resort collection is an utter devotion to the capturing of the extreme Australian ecosystem and its multiculturalism.

“It stands as a celebration of our natural treasures - the rich, unique and biodiverse ecosystem of Australia, from the desert to the bush to the ocean.

It honours the diversity in the natural world and the diversity in our culture.”

Each Australiana element of ‘Bloomscape,’ meticulously represents this natural biodiversity - in the colours, the silhouettes, the prints and the embellishments. 

The colours derived from this island nation provides a kaleidoscopic palette of wattle yellows, gum nut greens, rock reds, salt lake pinks and desert sky blues. Utilising garments in white, this blank canvas allows for splashes of colour to be painted, embroidered, printed or fully blocked on.

The silhouettes depicts the ecological diversity of the Australian landscape; with voluminous, structured pieces seemingly crafted to resemble the rocky terrain, to the almost transparent fabrics mimicking the rolling waves from the deepest oceans. Other silhouettes were illustrated through the collection by the billowy fabrics, structured collars, ruffled necklines and tiered pleating.

The hand-painted prints proudly parade our abundance of native flora; in the shapes of leaves, seeds and flowers. And lastly, the abstract Eucalypt embroidered embellishments outlined our unique constellation, only viewed from the southern sky in the bright portion of the Milky Way.

“We live in and around nature, yet we are growing more and more isolated from it…’Bloomscape’ is a place and a state of mind.”

Aje. taps into our inherent apathy to our surrounding beauty of nature, taking our seemingly invisible landscape and unique ecological qualities for granted. With this Resort collection, the once fading Australiana elements are front and centre, boldly proclaiming to the world that our culture, our history, our ecology is to be valued and respected, and even can inspire and be represented in our fashion.

‘Bloomscape’ challenges our disinterest and impassivity to nature and its incredible diversity. It is a state of mind. And it is also a wondrous place.