When Toni Maticevski's first model emerged in a sweat-shirt emblazoned with a giant ''up yours'' hand gesture, you knew something was, well, up at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia. Maticevski is renowned for his swoon-worthy evening wear, but had suddenly turned all subversive and sporty.
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''There are a lot of brands that fall into the routine of going 'that was great, that worked, let's repeat that' and it becomes a cycle of feeding the customer the same shit,'' Maticevski said. ''I think that is the kiss of death because the customer is only going to buy that maybe twice in a row. For me it's important to excite them and make them really want to invest in what I do, so this time I really wanted to push the envelope a little bit.''
Maticevski's one fingered salute was emblematic of a fashion week that took a stand against bland.
Perhaps it was due to a need to inspire customers to spend in the moribund retail climate but the week produced some of the strongest collections in years, as designers gave a metaphorical ''up yours'' to mediocrity.
Industry stalwarts Alex Perry, Jayson Brunsdon and Aurelio Costarella all embraced a younger, fresher view point. Perry's Varsity collection inspired by college gridiron players and homecoming queens was a performance of flippy cheerleader skirts and colour-blocked crop tops, while Costarella introduced vibrant daywear into his trademark arsenal of bodices, beading and bird feathers.
Brunsdon took a trip to Rio with more ruffles and sequins than Mardi Gras in a presentation that more than equalled the exuberance in the New Generation show of emerging designers on Thursday.
Emma Mulholland's show about life after the 9 to 5 office grind was a hoot even if her Risque Business range wasn't the strongest or most sophisticated of the week. But any show including Post-it note prints, bulldog clip earrings, references to John Hughes films and Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 as the soundtrack gets my tick of approval.
For Christopher Esber, daring to be different simply meant making a pair of shorts.
''For me it felt like a new step,'' the designer said. ''I hadn't done something overtly sexual before.''
He should do it more often - the sophisticated take on uniform dressing was polished perfection.
Bianca Spender also got her sex on with a seductive presentation brim-full of bustiers, buckles and harnesses. It was a radical new direction for a designer known for a softer take on femininity, but moving out of her comfort zone paid off in spades, delivering one of the strongest shows of the week. Her final look was a superlative shimmering sequined pencil skirt worn with a sequined bra top. Shine on Spender and stars of fashion week.
