MBFWA ALICE MCCALL RESORT 20
May 17, 2019
Photo credit: Stefan Gosatti for Getty Images
Cosmia
Season by season, Alice McCall never fails to bring a deeply personal story and connection to what had shaped her to become one of Australia’s revered fashion designers. And this year’s showing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia marked her fifteenth year in the industry, stepping back in time to give us an insight to her childhood.
Walking into one of the largest warehouse spaces at Carriageworks, fashion elites and guests feasted their eyes on the enormous golden retro-flora art pieces, suspended from the industrial ceiling. With thick, flexible strips that emitted a bright white glow, they curled and bent, resembling a large flower blooming out from the grey concrete floor.
It was reminisce of the flower power movement of the late 60’s and early 70’s, where hippies expressed themselves in clothing with embroidered flowers in vibrant colours, wore flowers in their hair and also presented flowers to people on the street.
Known as flower children, McCall embodied this child, taking us back to where it all started. In the late 70’s, a young Alice rummaged through her mother’s dress-up box, a treasure trove of sparkling objects and silken fabrics, mostly all in riotous psychedelic prints and patterns.
It was this very thrill of vintage discovery that evoked the connection for her Resort 20 collection, “Cosmia.”
“There’s romance, a lot of romance. There’s feminine strength and confidence. And there’s a distinct sense of celebration - of spirit and adventure in each piece.”
Retaining the essence of the late 70’s, but injecting a touch of refinement, each piece of “Cosmia” had a distilled strong sense of romance and femininity to it. With soft, feminine elements illustrated in the frills, fluted-sleeves and feathers, all in sheer fabrication that smoothly floated like silk through the air.
Like Alice in Wonderland, wandering through a gigantic landscape, each “Cosmia” model flowed and weaved around the giant sculptures in a colourful haze of lavenders and bold fuchsias. Following that rabbit hole back to the magic of discotheques, McCall incorporated cocktail dresses in glittering metallics, exaggerated sleeves, tiered ruffles and shimmering sequins.
By boldly using neon additions and accessories with her collection, we finally realise who “Cosmia” woman is - “Maria.”
“She moves like she don’t care
Smooth as silk, cool as air…
She’s like a millionaire
Walkin’ on imported air”
Released back in 1999, “Maria” from Blondie embodied everything in this collection. With this punk rock anthem as inspiration, McCall imagined “Maria” moving in silken steps, on imported air, wearing the exact pieces from this collection to look like a millionaire.
“Maria, you’ve gotta see her
Go insane and out of your mind”
And with this captured memory and interwoven story of celebrated discovery, McCall has produced another magical affair which you’ve just gotta see, go insane and out of your mind.