Fashion designer Alexi Freeman. Photo: Nicole Reed

DALIA SABLE

FOR emerging designer Alexi Freeman, inspiration comes from everywhere aside from fashion itself. The fine arts graduate is currently enjoying the success of the recent launch of his third spring/summer collection of his self-named fashion label.

He certainly has a sense of style, so -– if not from fashion -– where do his ideas come from? “From the clouds, from the shapes that I see when I close my eyes, from the cracks in the pavement, from pretty much anywhere other than fashion itself,” he explains.

“It’s my philosophy that fashion needs to be a reflection of life and if it’s simply fashion referencing fashion, it’s more like a dog chasing its tail.”

If Freeman’s ideas reflect life, it’s not surprising they’re so eclectic. His family history is as interesting and intricate as his designs. His paternal grandparents were Russian Jews and his maternal grandfather was a Nazi soldier.
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Jewish jewellery designer Nicole Fendel. Photo: Marnie Haddad

LEXI LANDSMAN

NICOLE Fendel started making jewellery on her bedroom floor. In just five years, the self-taught jewellery designer is now designing jewellery for Princess Mary of Denmark, has model Kristy Hinze wearing her earrings on Project Runway Australia, and already has an international following.

“It’s been such a whirlwind, sometimes I have to pinch myself and say this is actually happening,” Melbourne-based Fendel, 29, says when we meet in Sydney, where she is one of the designers taking part in the Little Paddington Laneway Festival.

With blonde hair and large blue eyes, the humble and unassuming jewellery designer admits she’s still adjusting to the growth of Nicole Fendel Jewellery (NFK) in such a short time.

“I started with nothing,” Fendel explains. “I had $100 to buy beads and I starting making a few bits and pieces for myself and friends, and it started from there.”
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A Tali Roth design which will be paraded at the Jewish Museum of Australia’s fashion parade.

DALIA SABLE

ICONIC Jewish fashion designers Josh Goot, Peter Alexander and Camilla And Marc will team up with emerging labels, including KBAD, Tali Roth, Lolla Palooza and JXCESS, for a parade at the Jewish Museum of Australia this week.

As well as serving as a JMA fundraiser, the event also aims to increase awareness about the museum with younger members of the Jewish community.

Titled the “Designers Collective Runway Show”, the event began as a small idea and has grown into a styled and choreographed parade, helped along by dressers, music coordinators and hair and make-up staff.

Models on the night will be from both professional agencies, as well as from within the community.

JMA events committee volunteer Yola Rose said: “It was anticipated the event would appeal to a cross section of the community and that people would delight in the opportunity to experience a first-class fashion parade celebrating Jewish designers, socialise with friends and at the same time support the JMA.
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A selection of the vintage model gowns from the Darnell Collection, which were modelled at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel in a fashion parade. Photos: Courtesy of the State Library of NSW

Films such as Coco avant Chanel and a showcase of rare French couture have brought a resurgence of French fashion fever to Australia, writes Lexi Landsman.

THE French have always been leaders in fashion and trends. Everything about French culture is enticing – except perhaps delicacies such as les escargots. With films like Coco avant Chanel (directed by Anne Fontaine and featuring Audrey Tautou), which tells the story of Chanel’s journey from rags to riches, it appears the Australian fashion scene is yet again enamoured by French trends.

Stripes are back, the backless V-lined dresses, black-and-white Chanel-style blazers, elaborate hair-pieces – even berets are popping up. Our casual seaside attire appears to be smartening up, with winter-skinned Australians returning from European summers with sun-kissed glows, gloating about all things Parisian while holding their Louis Vuitton bags and sporting French eau de parfum. And with Facebook, it’s difficult not to be swept along with them as you follow friends’ photos (or friends of friends in this voyeuristic cyberworld) through the streets of Paris, or the French Riviera of Cote d’Azur.

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Friends and fashion partners … Dionne Efron (left) and Amira Jacobson. Photo: Ben Weinstein

LEXI LANDSMAN

MAHALIA is Hebrew for tenderness, and it’s also the name of a fashion label that has just been launched by two young, innovative Jewish designers Dionne Efron and Amira Jacobson.

With the slogan “wear a little tenderness”, Jacobson says the name is a reflection of the items in their range.

“We like to call the style of Mahalia bohemian-chic,” Jacobson, 22, says. “It’s all very soft fabrics and loose fitted and very wearable for a lot of sizes. At the same time, it’s chic, so it can be worn at night.”

The label’s nature-inspired first range features dress and vest designs in summery colours and prints. Produced entirely in Australia with quality locally-sourced fabrics, it incorporates prints of birds, flowers and embroidered feathers.

“It’s a good combination of the two of us,” Jacobson says, explaining that she is the Bohemian side of Mahalia and Efron is the chic, structured side.

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Sister act … (from left) Romy, Bryoni and Jaimi Krost in Bryoni and Jaimi’s first collection of JBKROST jumpsuits. Photo: Lara Hotz

LEXI LANDSMAN

SISTERS Jaimi and Bryoni Krost have always wanted to work together on a creative project. So when Jaimi returned from travels across Europe and remarked on the growing trend of jumpsuits, they knew they’d found a niche to crack into.

“Jumpsuits by nature are an essentially unique product and it was this uniqueness that inspired us to introduce this specific product to Sydney,” said Bryoni.

“Our desire to collaborate, combined with a keen interest in the world of fashion and clothing itself, has fundamentally driven the production of our line of jumpsuits.”

Earlier this month the sisters launched their label, JBKROST, with their first range of jumpsuits.
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A model wears a white one-piece from Kini Bikini.

LAUREN RESNICK

IT may feel like a daunting task to pack, plan and get the mandatory spray-tan-mani-pedi and still hold down a nine-to-five job, but it’s actually pretty simple. Take inspiration from some Aussie travellers and style gurus, namely Miranda Kerr and Elle McPherson. Consistently well groomed and stylish without looking like they have spent pain-staking hours to achieve the look, these women set a benchmark. (We can all dream right?)

Here are some fashion tips for travelling:

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