VAMFF Highlights: National Graduate Runway
KAT Trinh mixed with celebrities at last week’s Melbourne Fashion Festival graduate runway. She brings you the best pieces from this year’s most talented international student designers.
Gorgeous looks from talented graduates. Photo: Lucas Dawson Photography
Last week I had the chance to attend to the Melbourne Fashion Week’s National Graduate Runway. It was such an exciting experience, partly because I’ve never been to a runway show before, much less sat in the second row, but mostly because a graduate runway is so different from your usual designer collections.
You can actually feel the young, aspiring spirit of those talented designers through their clothes. They are fearless with experimentation and the result is beyond imagination.
Wing Chiang found inspiration in floral. Photo: Lucas Dawson Photography.
I arrived at the show early to spy on the most fashionable people in Melbourne. Docklands was full of people, from models to street-style bloggers, dressed in undeniably cool outfits. It was such a Devil Wears Prada moment.
As I walked into the venue, I spotted some of my favourite fashion bloggers and Natalie Tran from communitychannel – one of my favourite Youtubers!
The show finally kick off and the audience was stunned at the way all those designers pushed the boundary of creativity.
One of my favourite collections from the show was by Tan Thanh Trieu – a Vietnamese RMIT graduate. His collection was inspired by the historical monuments of his home country, the green-ness of the Vietnamese passport in particular.
Tan Thanh Trieu found inspiration in the Vietnamese passport. Photo: Lucas Dawson Photography
It was so interesting to see all the shapes, cuts and colours born from something as simple and banal as a passport.
We’re green with envy. Photo: Lucas Dawson Photography
Chin Hey Tay’s collection was another unforgettable experience. Where else can you see this Teddy-bear-inspired coat? Bizarre.
Chin Hau Tay’s ferocious teddy bear jacket. Photo: Lucas Dawson Photography
For classic black and white clothing lovers, Yan Wang’s collection was spectacular. Yan Wang’s menswear was full of bold shapes and 3D black and white patterns. Stare at it for too long and you’ll feel like you’re looking at a monochrome illusion.
Yan Wang’s monochrome overload. Photo: Lucas Dawson Photography
There were many more memorable collections from the graduate runway, from both local and international aspiring fashion students. This show was their first step to achieving their dreams for the fashion world, and it was a total success, judging from the endless applause from the audience.
Want to know the trends from this year’s fashion week and where to get them for cheap? Check out our Get the Look for less feature!