Sheena Murray
Self taught designer Sheena Roberts doesn't have to look far to define her label's target customer. Roberts, who completed a Bachelor of Arts and gained teaching qualifications prior to launching the her own label, says she likes to imagine her sleek designs will be worn by "independent, intelligent and chic" businesswomen. Featuring 12 styles, including a number of separates, dresses, a jacket and light evening coat, Roberts' debut range - 'The black swan' - utilises wools, sinks, linens and leathers to flatter as many different shapes and sizes as possible. Crepe stretch suiting, embossed metallics, satins and geometrically printed chiffons are also key. Manufactured in studios and workrooms across Newcastle and Sydney, the collection features a colour palette incorporating black, ivory and orange and is available in sizes eight to 16. Price points for the label, which was recently exhibited at both the Melbourne Festival of Fashion 2008 and the Melbourne Design Festival, range from $300 to $750.
Jinyana
Milliner-cum-jewellery maker Coral Wilkinson is a woman with a lot of patience. Having been inspired to switch to jewellery design after seeing a floral necklace worn by hotel heiress Paris Hilton, the Cairns-based designer set herself the tough challenge of sourcing enough 1960s vintage enamel flowers in a particular colour way to complete a collection. Unavailable in Australia and no longer commercially produced, the Randwick TAFE graduate's journey took to two continents over nine months before she finally found a collector willing to share their treasure trove. A few months later Jinyana - an adaptation of Wilkinson's great-grandmother's surname - was born.
Servicing a small but loyal following of private clients in the US, the label is targeted at women who like "dramatic, flamboyant and unique" jewellery. Her debut range, dubbed Carnaby St, comprises 20 pieces including embellished necklaces, pendant necklaces, rings and earrings. Fabricated from original 1960s vintage enamel flowers, the flowers are multi-stacked to create depth with the centres of each embellished with Swarovski stones. Positioned alongside pieces from notable Aussie jewellery designers Sophie Kyron, Samantha Wills and Chelsea deLuca, the range retails from $35 for a pair of earrings to $365 for necklaces.
Lost not lonely
Fashion wasn't the easiest of fits for accessories designer Sara Smeath. Brought up in rural New Zealand, surrounded by workboot-clad men employed by her family's truck-driving business, Smeath admits it was stolen hours in her Nana's sewing room counting buttons and making "spaghetti" out of over locking threads that eventually planted the seeds of design. Shipped off to university at the age of 17 to gain a Diploma in Fashion and a Bachelor of Design with Honours, Smeath's talents were recognised early on when she received an Air New Zealand Inspiring New`Zealanders scholarship to assist Kiwi designer Karen Walker in preparation for her annual showing in New York. After working with and receiving one on one mentoring from Walker, Smeath moved to Sydney to design for Shakuhachi later working as a freelance stylist. Lost and Lonely was born upon her return. Featuring 36 pieces, Smeath's debut collection features accessories, shoes and handbags across a colour palette of black and white tones with basic browns and greys. Using a mixture of high quality soft leathers with thick metal chains, all products are made from leather and manufactured in Indonesia. Retail price points range from $50 to $500.
Eternal Safari and Sebastian's Sister
Gemma Jameson and Francesca Altenburg are all about idea generation. While exhibiting under their own womenswear labels the pair, who first met while studying fashion at the Canberra Institute of Technology, have collaborated on their last two projects, exploring and researching similar themes and creating a joint brief before going off to independently tailor their own aesthetic. Keen to continue along this track, the duo is currently in the process of establishing a Canberra-based design collective for fellow designers seeking to gain emotional, physical and financial support. Jameson says her label Eternal Safari, came about when she was in second year and doing a project about sustainable travel wear. "I wanted eternal to represent the idea of sustainabilty/cycle of life, and safari is intended to imply adventure and a sense of journey. I liked the idea that the Eternal Safari women can experience different adventures and journeys in my clothes so the name stuck." Her debut collection features black, grey and white colourways and a variety of fabrications including bamboo, cotton sateen, linen, and silk. Retail price points range from $80 to $350. Jameson, 24, says having only just graduated, her and Altenburg intend using Fashion Exposed as a means of gaining feedback on their collections and to establish contacts.
Yamila Guedez
Venezuelan-born accessories designer Yamila Guedez loves construction. An architect in a former life, the 36-year-old's work with leading designers took her to Miami, the US and London before she changed tack to study jewellery design at renown fashion college Central St Martins College. Making its Australian debut at the fair, Guedez's self-titled label is targeted at "sharp, active women interesting in projecting a sense of sensuality and elegance". While she enjoys making jewellery, Guedez says she also faces many challenges in the day to day running of her business. "The greatest risk in the ongoing process of making my pieces are durability, congruence, finish, aesthetic, market approach and sustainability." Boasting 100 different styles in total, her 'Cockroach Glam's' colour palette features red wine, gold, black, mustard, white, dark green, orange and olive. Manufactured both in Melbourne and Venezuela, its retail price points range from $50 to $350. Materials used include electroplated brass, strands of selenite, nylon, lycra, wool, tulle, jute, acrylic and resin.
Zemelita
Masculine tailoring is a key component of Brisbane designer Melinda Felder's new label Zemelita. The debut collection of Felder, whose resume boasts studying at Italy's prestigious fashion school Polimoda and work roles at Antonio Marras and Les Copains in Italy, features lots of tucks, pleats and volume structured to "give life" to each fabric and piece. Dubbed 'A veiled age', the ready-to-wear range features women's skirts, tops, pants and dresses made from sustainable natural fibres including silks, bamboo, cottons and rayons. Felder says inspiration for the new collection is derived from past and present. "[It] explores the maturing transformation of architectural elements over time - the stories revealed by layers of peeling paint, rustic walls and weathered buildings." All garments are manufactured in Australia, endeavouring to support the local economy and maintain the labels reputation for environmental and social responsibility. Recommended retail prices range from $80 to $500.
Krista Hochwallner
A "monotonous" office job was just the fuel 21-year-old womenswear designer Krista Hochwallner needed to finally launch her own label. Having always had an interest in fashion, the then office worker decided a career in office work was not for her and set about studying fashion at Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE, finally graduating with a Diploma of Clothing, Textiles and Footwear in 2006. Launching her debut self-titled label at Fashion Exposed, Hochwallner says her collection is targeted at young women in their late teens to late twenties who are looking to invest in lasting pieces that are "classy yet still fun and feminine". Her launch collection, which has just 15 pieces, features a bright palette with blues, yellows, purples and creams displayed prominently. Positioned alongside all other labels "trying to break into the industry", the
Brisbane-based designer says she prefers to stick to natural fibres with her 'Flying high' collection utilising silk dupion, silk chiffon both plain and pleated/crushed, and printed cotton as its point of difference. Manufactured in-house in Brisbane, the range is available in sizes six to 12 with price points of $160 for a cotton day dress up to $450 for a silk cotton cocktail dress.