Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Amanda Shadforth, Oracle Fox
Our final panellist for Flaunter Emerging 2015 – Amanda Shadforth of Oracle Fox.
Of course this fabulous and multi-talented lady needs little introduction…
Known for her impeccable style and unique creative skill set, Amanda began her career as an Australian contemporary artist. She enjoyed success domestically and abroad with her vast body of highly acclaimed work. Transitioning to the digital space just five years ago with the creation of Oracle Fox, Amanda has become one of Australia’s leading fashion influencers.
She is also one of the most down-to-earth ladies we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. With a cracker smile.
Here are Amanda’s Top 5 Emerging Faces to Watch. Congratulations!
There is a level of maturity and sophistication in Jacqueline’s work. I love the contemporary feeling of her work, her understanding of colour and her appreciation for combining all of these elements into a cohesive collection. My favourite look is the striped palazzo pants with textured yellow and white fringe top. There is something very ‘ready to wear’ about this that I can see resonating with a broad audience.
The playfulness in Zoe Efstathis’ collection is exciting and vibrant. I love her experimentation with textiles and the energy portrayed in her work. I see much potential from this young designer, and would be intrigued to see more from her future collections. My favourite look is the layered three-piece outfit. I love the oversized proportions and the youthful play with colour.
Evelyn Li portrays an exciting sense of urban youth to her cohesively tough collection. I love the modern, almost New York vibe of her pieces, and the attitude and creativity that she emulates. An interesting approach to layering and use of fabrics in unusual ways cohesively bands together to create an almost sports luxe feeling. My favourite look is the all white coat and trouser. This outfit may be quite artistic however I love the experimentation in layers, the folding of fabric and the overall way that it all comes together. It has excellent editorial appeal.
I am intrigued by Jessica Park’s work, there is a sense of couture in the way that Jessica interprets the fabrics that she is working with. Her respect and appreciation for the textiles that she chooses are evident in the way that she designs her pieces. My favourite look is Jessica’s ribbon dress, the fluidity of the strapping is interesting and dynamically appealing.
Tanu Vasu shows an intriguing level of technical ability. Her hand woven couture-like detailing is fascinating. Tanu’s appreciation and respect for art and technology are evident in her futuristic looks. It will be interesting to see where Tanu heads in the future. I love the intricate detailing in this look.
Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Vogue's Petta Chua
In the first 5 minutes we spent with Vogue's Junior Fashion Editor Petta Chua we instantly understood why the magazine's every move, every feature, every garment selection and every stamp of approval is revered. It's not by sheer luck that someone makes it on to the pages of Vogue. And it's not because you belong to a secret club. It's because Vogue's team dedicate their every waking moment to sourcing and discovering the best talent, and their best work. Day upon day, hour after hour is spent making sure that everyone and everything is seen and considered.
On that note, Petta has shared with us her feedback on Flaunter Emerging's 2015 graduates. Congratulations to these students, selected as the very best by Vogue Australia.
I thought overall that this was a strong year of graduates. In saying this, I understand I am meant to choose a top 5, but am choosing instead to select only three incredibly exceptional collections.
These collections are undeniably unique. They have all struck the perfect balance between selling a fashion message and creating something wearable. These designers have a strong understanding of their brand. And lastly, each of these designers accomplished one extremely impressive thing, not just for a graduate collection, but for any designer: they successfully created desire. I want to either shoot or wear the clothes in these collections. I want to see the stories of these brands unfold. I will be keeping a keen eye on the following:
Aidan Renata - QUT
Youthful, fun, audacious but still with a sense of street luxury. I thought Aidan showed a restrained hand when it came to deconstruction, which was impressive. I loved the colours he used, a challenge to the ideas of a traditional masculine palate- the yellow and the pink were so perfectly x’ish. I found it very modern. To me he shows a real understanding of street wear, the pieces are punchy and lyrical, light and fun but with enough edge. Like 90's hip hop, Like A Tribe Called Quest. You want to get up and move in those clothes.
Photo: Michael Greves
Jordan Anderson - QUT
I love the sense of irony this show has, it's fun. Made me smile, made me want to turn the music up. The palette is easy to swallow even though the colours are so loud. The collection has so much character in it, I knew who the Elvrik guy was immediately. It reads to me like the 10th season this designer has done, not the first. Jordan struck the perfect balance between experimental and palatable. Retro sportswear via Jazzy Jeff and Wes Anderson? I won’t try to guess the reference points, but it was well combined to make something that felt very fresh, and had its own direction. Without a doubt the collection has confidence. I can see these pieces in stores - as is - NOW. Take the hint buyers
Photo: Michael Greves
Laura Spence - RMIT
Laura’s ideas were strong - the sashes, the bows, the embellished scrawl: Fame Seeker, the rolled red carpet a model held in her hand. The challenge was set- do we need to re-think our concept of “red carpet dressing” to question the loudness, the trashiness, the tradition, and our obsession with it? Certainly a strong concept, and the execution? Perfect! The clothes weren’t lost in the story. There was still a lightness, a sense of humour to the message, and this was nicely balanced out by a rich palette, and moreish textures. Underlying all of this there was a great wearability to the clothes, a great sense of how women want to look now. I want to own a dress, I want to buy into this rebellion. It has equal parts Vivienne Westwood guts, and new Gucci charm to me. I think it’s just wonderful.
Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by the Australian Fashion Chamber
Flaunter Emerging's judging panel continues to deliver it's Faces to Watch and it's another exciting week!
Courtney Miller is the General Manager of the Australian Fashion Chamber – Australia’s peak industry body for fashion. Originally from Byron Bay Coco (yep just like Chanel) grew up surfing and running wild before living, traveling and working across in the world in London, Paris and Kenya. She has an undergraduate degree in international relations, a Masters in Communications and is a French speaker who attended France's premier political university.
And let’s not forget her role as Head of Communications at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art and her work on Free Trade Agreements at the Australian Federal Department of Finance.
More than qualified to lead the AFC, Coco’s mum cites that this role was in fact preordained as she tells the story of Courtney as a 5 year old choosing Vogue Bride magazine as essential reading on a family camping trip.
Courtney has chosen her Top 5 Faces to Watch.
And what better than the AFC’s tick of approval? Their offer of a one-on-one mentoring session with an AFC designer member of choice for each of the students Courtney has selected.
So a huge round of applause to the students included below. Your first step to world domination…
QUT:
QUT was the unexpected surprise this year with a really strong cohort. Must be something in the sun up there… so we’ve been a lil’ unbalanced and nominated two of their students.
Jonathan Rae had structured elements while being fun. The spot was an interesting and consistent component of the collection and shows a potential starting point for a signature piece.
Kat Walsh demonstrated beautiful tailoring with wearable pieces. Her collection was commercial with interesting details like wide lapels and paint stripes.
Whitehouse:
Zoe Efstathis is obviously a talented designer with both the commercial and editorial in mind to ensure she communicates the overall concept. I want to order the extraordinary weaved textile coat, which seems to have a modern Native American inspiration.
Sydney TAFE FDS:
Frederick Jenkyn. I like his playfulness, his use of multiple textures - wool, leather and fringe. The day to night pieces are versatile – I love the concept of pleats at night.
RMIT:
Amber Reece. There's a feeling of heritage and luxury, but with an edge. Rich detail which could somehow be draped both on the shoulders of Alexander the Great or the modern man. So rare in a men’s designer - we think she will go far.
Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Chloe Hill
Flaunter Emerging 2015 is wrapping up and our industry panelists have made their Top 5 selections, with an impressive group of promising young designers having already been commended.
And now welcoming superstar panellist Chloe Hill to the stage. Chloe is the Editor of ChloeChill as well as Fashion Market Editor at Oyster Magazine. She’s a busy and very clever lady who can spot talent a mile away…
So congratulations to Flaunter Emerging’s Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Chloe Hill.
Jason Tran - RMIT
Beautiful layering and languid fabrications make this a stand out collection in my books. I love the detail that has gone into each and every piece, not to mention the effortless nature of the collection as a whole.
Lauren Elise Trend - RMIT
I love that Lauren has contrasted cool cuts with sweet hues. Her pieces feel new and exciting, while still retaining wearability.
Photo: Michael Greves
Isabel Wengert - QUT
Clever use of texture and volume make this a strong collection. I particularly love that wool has been used in unusual ways.
Photo: Michael Greves
Jordan Anderson - QUT
These bold, sporty designs are street smart and so much fun.
Photo: Michael Greves
Arkie Barton - QUT
I love Arkie's youthful designs and fresh use of prints.
Photo: Michael Greves
Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Emma Read
The talented Emma Read is a stylist, writer and creative consultant. She’s worked her magic at titles such as RUSSH, Grazia and Elle and is currently the Market Editor at L’Officiel Australia.
So… she’s a very important lady who knows her stuff!
Congratulations to Flaunter Emerging’s Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Emma Read.
I love her clever skater sportswear fusion - graphic but not stitched up.
Photo: Natasha Foster
Georgie Ipsen
That intense hot pink is all-time! She's taken fringing from disco to an entirely different place.
Incredible shapes and silhouettes. I've followed his work for a while now and am excited to see where his career leads on from here.
Neo rave Australiana - I'm all for it.
Photo: Michael Greves
What a talent - anyone who can wield knitting needles like that deserves an award in my book.
Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by NAC Media, PR dream team
Two weeks, five schools and 62 designers later… Flaunter Emerging 2015 is drawing to an end.
Our next panelists are Nikki Andrews (Founder & CEO) and Anastasia Jarvis (PR Director) of NAC Media Group. NAC Media Group has over 30 years’ experience servicing some of the world’s leading global brands, alongside the next generation of ground-breaking talent. Nikki is acknowledged as one of Australia’s leading media campaign strategists.
These gals are a fountain of knowledge when it comes to commercialisation and editorial value. They make a powerhouse team and we love working with them.
On that note, congratulations to Flaunter Emerging’s Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by panelists Nikki & Anastasia, the NAC Media PR dream team.
Chorus (Alumni)
Chorus’ collection shows saleability. It has great commercial promise and shows a good use of fabrication and tailoring.
Yousef Akbar (Sydney TAFE Fashion Design Studio)
Yousef’s collection shows multiple facets of his technique and talent, beautiful tailoring and an understanding of fabrics and form. Colour and movement is strong throughout.
Zoe Efstathis (WID)
A very strong and very wearable collection. Zoe shows exceptional tailoring and fabric selection, with a strong eye for detail and finish.
Jacqueline Hayes (WID)
This collection shows strong potential. With an innate understanding of eveningwear craftsmanship, Jacqui’s skills can be honed and developed further to produce a commercial collection.
Georgie Ipsen (Sydney TAFE Fashion Design Studio)
The collection has beautiful craftsmanship, with strong use of colour and movement. The work Georgie Ipsen has shown here definitely has strong potential editorial value.
Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Alyx Gorman
Two weeks, five schools and 62 designers later… Flaunter Emerging 2015 is drawing to an end and our industry panelists have made their Top 5 selections…
Alyx Gorman is a writer, editor and social strategist. She’s one of the country’s most respected fashion writers and is currently both the Fashion Editor of The Saturday Paper and the Sydney Editor of Time Out.
In true Alyx style, she has done more than just pick her top five faces to watch. She’s also shared a message to all students graduating this year. This is essential reading!
A note to all students:
It's more than likely in 2015 that the first encounter someone has with your designs will be online. This means that how you package and present your brand - the way you choose to shoot it, the models you display it on, and how much of your collection you opt to show - is becoming almost as important as the quality of your designs. This thought was first in my mind as I made my selection.
Congratulations to Flaunter Emerging’s Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Alyx Gorman.
RMIT
Lauren Elise Trend - By blending deconstruction with a prim palette of sorbet tones, Lauren Elise Trend has demonstrated a capacity for original thinking and humour in her work. It's not an accessible collection, but there's a glean of commercial savvy. She's also skilfully presented her collection, playing knowingly with several luxury campaign tropes.
Photographer: Sebastian Petrovski
QUT
Arkie Barton - Arkie Barton's textile design is vibrant and playful, but also has great commercial potential. She's supported this talent with pattern cutting that gives her large-scale print room to breath, but does not overly complicate her works. Her 'Dreamtime' bomber jacket and black and white flares are stand out pieces.
Photographer: Michael Greves
FDS
Yousef Akbar - Yousef Akbar's clothes are made with an awareness of how women want to feel when they dress for an occasion - powerful, feminine and elegant. It's impossible to really tell from photos, but Akbar is also seems to be one of the most skilful makers I've been presented with in this competition.
Wesley McDonough - Wesley McDonough's collection has an interesting blend of craftmanship and cool. It feels incredibly relevant to what's happening in fashion at the moment, in that it reminded my of what the 'anti-fashion’ designers like Alex Mullins and Vejas are creating.
Alumni
ODOWD - The tailoring ODOWD presented could easily fit into and sell at a major department store. The pieces were clean, accessible and desirable.
Commended:
RMIT
Audrey Ahmer - Audrey Ahmer's dresses were extremely pretty, and very commercial. I could see these selling well in boutiques and online, especially around this time of year.
Amber Reese - While somewhat prone to excess, Amber Reese demonstrated strong technical ability, and a good eye for blending textures. Her high-collared cape dress, paired with panelled culottes, was one of the strongest overall looks of the competition.
QUT
Hannah Dalglish - The coat Hannah Dalglish made, where Comme Des Garcons 'Flat' collection is reinterpreted as a chaotic ultra-close up on an impressionist oil painting, is impossible to get past.
FDS
Jessica Van - I was really impressed by Jessica Van's creativity with textiles. Her garments had an organic, animate quality I would like to see more of. Photographer: Natasha Killeen
Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by Emma Freebairn, Sunday Style
Two weeks, five schools and 62 designers later… Flaunter Emerging 2015 is drawing to an end.
The positive feedback from the students and schools has been overwhelming.
TAFE FDS student Yousef Akbar: “Thank you for allowing me to be part of this journey. I would also like to congratulate you on the fantastic website, something that has been long overdue. Finally we have a quality platform like Flaunter for emerging designers in Australia.”
We’ve been blown away by the quality of the student work submitted to Flaunter Emerging, and so has our expert industry panel.
Congratulations to Flaunter Emerging’s Top 5 Faces to Watch as selected by panelist Emma Freebairn, super star Junior Fashion Editor at Sunday Style.
I love her colour palette and the fact that she found the perfect location for her look book shoot. Her designs have a unique quality with the dying of the fabric combined with the volume she cleverly uses. Favourite look:
Photographer: Natasha Killeen
I like Kate's mix of colour back with crisp white staples. It has a slight Marni feel and I think that this kind of use of colour is currently lacking in the Australian market. Favourite look:
Photographer: Michael Greves
I'm intrigued by Amber Reese's use of fabrications. I definitely think there is room for this girl’s creativity in the Australian fashion industry and would like to see and feel the collection up close. Favourite look:
I think this collection is the most wearable out of everything I have seen this year. The tailoring is great and I would happily wear some of these pieces both to the office and also socially. Favourite look:
I think Ahmad is on to a very good thing here. He pushes the boundaries of minimalism perfectly and both his men's and women's pieces are different to anything I have seen that’s currently in the market. Favourite look:
Photographer: Natasha Killeen
Flaunter Emerging Designers: Amber Reese
November 2015 marks the launch of Flaunter’s Emerging Designer showcase. This digital showcase is the first of its kind for Australia’s fashion industry.
We're so excited to be able to use the power of our platform to support young designers at the very beginning of their journeys to becoming fashion kingpins.
These are the faces to watch, the future of the Australian fashion industry.
Introducing Amber Reese, 2015 Graduate, RMIT
F: Why did you choose to study fashion?
AR: I was nine years old we I decided to pursue fashion. I like the idea of finding my own structure and methodology to interpret creative ideas and applying this to something tactile.
F: What’s been the most exciting moment for you to-date?
AR: It’s definitely a tie… 1. Visiting the Boudicca studio during a study tour in London was a beautiful experience. I feel as though that space held a lot of quiet wisdom that has since shaped how I view the fashion industry. 2. I’ve been selected to present my graduate collection at London Graduate Fashion Week next year!
F: Who/ what do you look to for inspiration?
AR: I love to read. I like devising unique imagery in my mind, based on literature, and trying to present it physically. This year I coupled this method with my inherent interest in nineteenth and twentieth century menswear tailoring.
F: What Australian designers do you most admire and why?
AR: I definitely appreciate the refreshing inventiveness of Romance Was Born in the presentation of their work. I also love Strateas.Carlucci’s perspective on tailoring and conventional clothing archetypes.
F: Who are you designing for- who’s your target market?
AR: I have never designed for an individual, I prefer to analyse social, political and environmental events so I can create globally relevant designs. Most importantly I want to love the work for myself.
F: What’s been the biggest challenge in getting your collection to this point?
AR: Some of my embellishment was completed by artisans in Pakistan which meant I had to have very clear communication around my designs. I have also been very fussy with my own finishing techniques!
F: Tell us what the last 24hrs in you life looked like.
AR: The past 24 hours have been the first time I have rested since creating this collection and completing university! Other than updating my website, I was able to resume a book I had put down five months ago… and I then powered away at my collection for the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week runway.
Flaunter offers a streamlined platform for brands to upload, organise and track hi res, media-ready content (photos, videos, documents) and an easy-to-access system for media to follow, find, and download it.
Flaunter Emerging is a program established for schools, universities and colleges to support final year and newly graduated fashion design students in building their public profiles and showcasing their work to a large media network.