This was the show I was most excited about. As soon as I saw Akira on the schedule I knew it would be a stand-out; it far exceeded my expectations and let me tell you my expectations were high. The show was magical! I have never before been so moved by a show. As the show progressed I could feel myself slowly becoming more emotional and by the end all I wanted to do was cry, but I tried to keep my cool and luckily only a few tears ran down my cheeks – I say luckily because once I start crying it takes forever for me to stop.

I had attended the Q&A session with Akira Isogawa at Claremont Quarter the night before and heard him speak of his past, his experiences, his inspirations and more. Perhaps it was in hearing his words that I was predisposed to feel so emotional during his show, and I’m so happy I had the opportunity to. This year marked Akira’s 20th year since first showing at Fashion Week in Sydney and the red Adidas sneakers gave nod to where it all began; for that very collection Akira couldn’t afford to put models in shoes so instead they wore red socks.

Everything about this show was delicate. The images of the clothes speak for themselves – the layering, the embroidery, colours, fabrics, the list goes on. The screens projected an animated illustration of falling leaves. The models walked slowly and gracefully to the minimal instrumental soundtrack. Local florist Rebecca Grace of Natural Art Flowers created the floral pieces; these details worked so harmoniously with the clothes. It was like we were given a glimpse into a world inhabited by ethereal nymph-like fairies and it was absolutely breathtaking.

It was all the pretty things at Vietnamese designer Phuong My‘s show last week. A live vocalist was singing renditions of classics by the likes of Frank Sinatra on the sleek, black runway that was scattered with rose petals in varied shades of pink and red. Phuong My‘s strengths are luxurious fabrics, feminine silhouettes and excellent craftsmanship. By this point I had so far attended the Dilettante and Jaime Lee shows, so I really loved seeing how different the three were with each show being completely different and unique.

Inspired by Tokyo, technology and the infamous Shinjuku Robot Restaurant, Jaime Lee‘s show was an array of colour, shine and neon. The show’s high energy kept viewers captivated from start to finish. To say the show was visually stimulating would be an understatement, it was much more than that – the big screens showed a video montage from the Robot Restaurant and at the end of the runway were two silver unicorns with a neon rainbow arch framing the models as they posed. Pair this with a loud, high BPM soundtrack and you have an atmosphere similar to Tokyo’s hectic night-life!

I loved the progression of the looks throughout the show, with models in groups of three representing mini-stories within the collection. From cute, kawaii mini dresses, to psychedelic and floral prints and of course the different colour stories of sequins and feathers! It was also so great to see Jaime Lee delve into more ready-to-wear pieces, with looks in more wearable silhouettes as opposed to the beautiful gowns she is renowned for. And to end, she sent pieces from her demi couture Bridal range down the runway.

Another highlight were the shoes! Oh my the shoes were insane! It was a collaboration between Jaime Lee and bespoke shoe designer Kira Goodey of Kira Goodey Bespoke Shoes. The dragon boots (pictured above) were unbelievable! Kira is one talented lady! I interviewed her recently. The post will be up later this week. I can’t wait to share with you more detailed images of the shoes from this show!