If Jenny Kee were to design the Australian landscape, this is what it would look like. Her scarves wrapped high as turbans and branches balancing on model’s heads, the prints transforming effortlessly from the pieces into the surrounding bottlebrush. Jenny and Anna were in her signature waratah red (Romance Was Born styled the show).
All photos: Soraya Zaman for Style Me Romy
Designer: Aje.
THURSDAY, MAY 3 TIME: 1.00PM
Photo: Patrick McGreal for StyleMeRomy.com
Styling: Romy Frydman. Hair: Sophie Roberts. Make Up: Claire Thompson
Actress Leila George wearing Aje.
SS12/13 Inspiration: Shipwrecks, Encrusted Barnacles, Buried Stories, Decaying Glamour
Anything different this season? We have been experimenting with laser-cutting prints into super-fine leathers to create new textures, have pushed our artisans to create new depths and dimensions of sequins.
Where’s your head at right now? We wish we knew…they’re always all over the place!
What gets you through fashion week? We’re not sure yet as it’s our first time but we’re very lucky to have such a great team on board, we would have been lost otherwise.
What are you wearing today? Top to toe Aje. The Gwendolyn mini maxi (short at the front, long at the back) dress in tweed print from our AW12 collection and Aje Balago Boots.
Tech addiction: Unfortunately we’re a little technologically retarded but we’re trying our hardest.
POSTED BY RomyDesigner: We Are Handsome
THURSDAY, MAY 3 TIME: 12.00PM
Photo: Patrick McGreal for StyleMeRomy.com
Styling: Romy Frydman.Hair: Sophie Roberts Make Up: Claire Thompson
Model: Montana (Chic) wearing We Are Handsome
SS12/13 Inspiration: Graceful, Electric, Seductive, Captivating, Handsome
Anything different this season? This is our first Australian Fashion Week so everything is going to be visually strong and very bold! We will bring the range to life on stage in a polished, fresh way, which will evoke pure summer.
What are you wearing today? My standard office uniform: bed hair, an oversized tee, converse and my faithful silver jewellery. Jeremy always seems to live in black skinny jeans, nautical inspired tees and his favourite boat shoes that generally live under his desk.
What keeps you in Australia? Sydney has magic to it that a lot of other cities don’t have.
Tech addiction: We have every tech addiction there is and why wouldn’t we, our very beginnings are based around the digital new age.
POSTED BY RomyDesigner: Jenny Kee
THURSDAY, MAY 3 TIME: 11.00AM
Photo: Soraya Zaman for StyleMeRomy.com
Styling: Romy Frydman. Hair & Make Up: Nancy Sea Siler
Model: Jessica Gold (Maverick) wearing Jenny Kee
What’s special about 2012 that made you decide to show at Fashion Week? I’m feeling inspired the way I was 40 years ago at the beginning of Flamingo Park with Linda Jackson. Our motto was “step into paradise”. Now instead of having your own parades you show at fashion week.
Is fashion as exciting now as it was when you opened Flamingo Park? When Romance Was Born and I came together, fashion was born for me again. Flamingo Park stood on its own because we were the innovators of a creative world in fashion, nothing can be quite like that, but this is like chapter two, with wisdom.
Your parades were theatrical events – should we be expecting something fabulous at this year’s show? Absolutely, nothing less, except there’s 32 years of it to look at plus fabulous new work.
Where did your love for the waratah come from? From the ancient landscape where I live and my fiery emotions watching the waratahs explode from the ashes of bushfires. It is forever my totem.
Most outrageous adventure: Driving with Penelope Tree through the outback in WA to Shark Bay in the 80s, protesting against the logging of the forests and getting arrested, staying at the villa of great art forger Elmyr de Hory in Ibiza in 1966 and wondering while having an acid trip why there were so many famous paintings on the walls.
First love affair: Walking into the Chelsea Antique in 1967, the Summer of Love. It was an Aladdin’s Cave crammed full of label dresses like original Chanel, Poiret, Vionnet, Schiapparelli, glorious ethnic Spanish shawls and Hungarian peasant blouses.
Do you go on wild bush expeditions dressed in your garments? All my ethnic comes out: Thai, African, Guatamalan, because it’s actually practical, and of course my trackies and flannels.
Are you looking forward to the Fashion Week after parties? I’m looking forward to “going off” with Anna and Luke from Romance Was Born.
POSTED BY Romy