DESIGNBRAINBUCKET: Marnie Skillings Spring/Summer 2010

New Zealand beauty Zippora Seven.

Image at http://twitpic.com/photos/marie_claire_au

Yesterday was the Marnie Skillings Spring/Summer 2010 show 'Lady.Nimble.Shadow' ... and what a show it was. Nestled away in the Royal Botanic Gardens Marnie and stylist Emily McGregor set up a stunning scene for the event complete with an array of quaint vintage outdoor chairs, old books, posies in glass jars, hanging birds nest ferns and a happy crowd of well-fed, well-watered and well-dressed Skillings fans.

While I could sit here and tell you how amazing the collection was (which it was), and how fabulous the hair and makeup was (which it was also) and of course how wonderful the models were I think the really amazing thing about the Marnie show was just how much work was put into creating the complete picture for her guests. While the seriously desirable clothes spoke for themselves with the styling, hair and makeup all working perfectly into this, Miss Skillings gave us everything we could have ever hoped for in a fashion show. The entire scene - with the vintage garden references, sweet smells, indoor/outdoor setting of the Palm House in the Royal Botanic Gardens, fern fronds unfurling from twine baskets hanging from the ceiling - perfectly complemented the range and the label itself and made the day a wondrous event. Which is exactly what a fashion show should be. Sure when it comes to the crunch fashion is a business just like any other - but it's a business built on desires and dreams and sometimes it's nice to see designers that still have these same aspirations rather than them simply flogging frocks on the runway.

With Sydney fashion week just a few sleeps away now it will be interesting to see if other designers have followed suit and approached their show in the same way with such a focused, brand specific outcome. Will Marnie's show be the first in a string of delightful all-encompassing events or the clear standout in a standard season?