Many an exhibiting brand has been discovered by eagle eyed buyers at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. Tracey Porter casts her eye over some of those hoping 2009 will prove to be their year.
Sophie Begg
A background in three dimension design gives Sophie Begg an advantage not afforded to all jewellery designers. The 21-year-old says she has always been interested in textures and shapes which is why her education background features fine art study at both Central Saint Martins College in London and UNSW. Manufacturing all her pieces in Sydney, the accessory designer's RAFW collection features 18 pieces across two stories 'Bird hits window' and 'train tracks'. Utilising a range of plated metals, leathers, feathers and silks, the collection's colour palette includes black, charcoal, silver, grey, ivory, gold and metal with reds, whites, blues and blacks. Retail prices points range from $25 to $264.
Sibylla
Had swimwear designer Marie Maragos been aware of the hurdles facing labels seeking to manufacture in Melbourne, she may have retained her career in finance. The 32-year-old, who spent ten years working as a business strategy consultant before turning to design, says she always planned to launch her own swimwear line when the time "was right". Launching an initial capsule collection, dubbed Sibylla, the range consists of 14 bikini sets with plans afoot to incorporate one-piece suits, sarongs and beach towels at a later date. Manufactured entirely in Melbourne, Sibylla is positioned alongside more established brands such as Zimmermann, Anna & Boy and Seventh Wonderland. Available in sizes eight to 12, the range will retail for between $210 and $220.
Kristina Brenke Jewellery Design
Thirty-eight-year-old German designer Kristina Brenke has an eye for fine jewellery. Having completed a four-year trade degree at the highly acclaimed Sir John Cass School of Art in London, she served an early apprenticeship with West End jeweller Jess James before moving to Australia and joining the Jan Logan and Melissa Harris teams. Two-and-a-half years ago Brenke bit the bullet and set up her own studio. Using fabrication methods including handforming, hand-piercing and lost wax casting, Brenke designs and manufactures all her pieces in Australia utilising vintage glass beads, french ribbon, semi-precious stones and red deco tea-sets in miniature. Her range boasts 50 styles, most of which are either one-off or limited edition. Prices range from $95 to $1975.