FABULOUS FREO FASHION

Most West Australians know Fremantle for its historic buildings and buzzing café strip but few realise that the port city is also home to a vibrant fashion community full of talented creatives. To celebrate this year’s Perth Fashion Festival, the folks from the Fremantle Fashion Collective have banded together to makeover Victoria Hall, promising a highly conceptual exhibition featuring an array eye catching garments and accessories.

RIPE FOR THE PICKING

The Urban Orchard will be brimming with fashionable fruit this Sunday, September 12, when Unwrapped: The Marketplace sets up shop for the day. This special Perth Fashion Festival edition of Unwrapped will offer up freshly picked goodies from a range of West Australian designers including David &/or Billy, Igor & Katja, On A Whim, Zanthus, Nashi And The Magpie, My Girl Gwendoline, Lily In Love, plus a whole lot more.

REUSE, RECYCLE, RESTYLE

The Perth Fashion Festival will temporarily avert its gaze from new season fashions this Thursday, September 9, focusing instead on the fashions of yesteryear and yesterday with ReStyle. Now in its second year, ReStyle encourages shoppers to reduce their carbon footprint and support local charities by heading first to op shops rather than boutiques when hunting for new outfits.

AVATAR

West Australian based student designer Jeromy Lim will pack his bags for an overseas adventure next month to participate in the finals of a prestigious international fashion competition hosted by the Paris American Academy and the International Textile and Apparel Association. A student of Curtin University by day and Polytechnic West Institute by night, Lim is an extremely talented designer who isn’t afraid of hard work.

PRO-BONO POPSICLES

The folks behind the William Street Collective are hard at work preparing for Popsicle, their annual Perth Fashion Festival event. Instead of presenting a straight up runway show, Popsicle will showcase WA made designs in the confines of a pop up shop in the Perth Cultural Centre.

PLASTIC FANTASTIC

Cult footwear label Melissa has quite a large following in Australia, with many boutiques stocking the label’s beautiful creations. One such boutique is Pulse Modern Urban, a fantastic store nestled on Hay Street in the city.

Pulse carries a huge range of Melissa designs, including their incredibly popular Ultra Girl style, which is a kooky take on the humble ballet flat. To commemorate the arrival of the latest Melissa styles at Pulse, the boutique has kindly offered to giveaway a pair of Melissa shoes to a fan of the label.

REDUCE, REUSE, RE STYLE

Now in its second year, Re Style is a Perth Fashion Festival event designed to help fashion conscious individuals reduce, reuse and Re Style. Featuring looks from charity stores such as Anglicare, Drug Arm, Good Sammy, Red Cross, The Salvos, Save The Children and Vinnies, Re Style challenges shoppers to look beyond the price tag to discover contemporary outfits at their local op shop.

EN GARDE

The beautiful, lofty Winthrop Hall at the University Of Western Australia will play host to some of fashion’s biggest names this September for a celebration of style the likes of which Perth has never seen before. Conceived by Dilettante, Zekka and Head Studio, Avant-Garde will feature a high-end runway presentation, showcasing the latest designs from labels such as Vivienne Westwood, Gareth Pugh and Damir Doma.

WAIT A MINUTE

Fifteen Minutes: The Rise Of The Fashion Blog is set to take over Fashion Paramount on Tuesday, September 14, promising a spectacular runway show featuring the latest looks from some of Perth’s best retailers. An ode to the humble fashion blog, Fifteen Minutes will feature interviews with bloggers and a showcase of Spring/Summer threads from Billie & Rose, Zara Bryson, Merge, Planet and Pigeonhole, with live music provided by Cut N Paste Sound System.

POP UP PARADISE

Now in its third year, Popsicle is the William Street Collective’s contribution to the Perth Fashion Festival, and is certainly not just another run-of-the-mill runway event. From Thursday, September 9, ’til Wednesday, September 15, Popsicle will set up shop in the Perth Cultural Centre, where two sea containers will be converted into nautical themed stores selling the creations of WA designers, artists and writers.