We are still coming down from the inspiration high that was 2012 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia. Monday through to Friday we were on deck at the Overseas Passenger Terminal reviewing the shows, getting our street style stalker on, and interviewing industry superstars (Taylor! Yasmin! Elin!), but this week we've moved on the analysis. It's almost more fun to round up the most important, most influential and most need-to-know gems from MBFWA. To kick the review process off, we've collated (after much deliberation) on our top five looks from our absolute favourite five runway shows of the week. From Christopher Esber's considered and conceptual approach to Zimmermann's floral delights, from Michael Lo Sordo's cool take on tailoring to Manning Cartell's wear-me-now-please print and texture combos, and last but not least Ellery's cool play with transparency, proportion and drape — these are FabSugar's top five.
See All the Front Row Celebrity Style From MBFWA!
Last week the craziness and excitement that is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia hit Sydney, and we were on the ground running from show to show to bring you fashion and beauty reports fresh off the runway. Fashion Week also meant the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay (where a majority of the shows were held) was filled with celebrities, editors, designers, stylists, bloggers, and anyone else with an interest in fashion — we stalked the front row to see what the likes of Lara Bingle, Jodi Gordon, Kate Waterhouse and Ruby Rose were wearing. Click through to see all the front row snaps from the week!
Burberry Says Au Revoir to MBFWA in Style! Snoop the Party Pics
What a say to say sayonara to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia! Burberry hosted a chic soirée to celebrate their latest eyewear release, the aviator. It was one of four global parties for the S/S '12 line, and despite the general feeling of fashion week fatigue, Sydney's most stylish perked up to party down at the CBD flagship store. A set by Life in Film got the crowd in the mood, not to mention the outfit stalking thanks to the well-dresed crowd. From Kate Waterhouse and Jesinta Campbell in the label's eye-catching S/S '12 prints, to Rachael Taylor looking chic in Dion Lee, to street style snapper Candice Lake in a thigh-high split, there are plenty of killer party looks to peruse (plus the cool new season campaign) inside the gallery. Take a look! Images courtesy of Burberry.
2012 MBFWA: 48 Fashion Week Beauty Looks Up Close
Fashion Week delivered just about everything you could wish for in terms of beauty looks: luminous skin, braids, pops of colour, glitter, wet-look hair, wild hair accessories and much, much more. If you missed our daily show reports or just like to have everything in one easy-to-reference guide, you've come to the right place. We've rounded up the beauty looks from every show starting from Romance Was Born right through to Fernando Frisoni. So if you're looking for a little runway-to-reality inspiration or want to check out the craziest catwalk looks read on!
2012 MBFWA: Glitter, Elaborate Headpieces and More at Akira
"Nothing's too over the top," Jon Pulitano (Redken) said of the three different hairstyles he created for Akira. The first style — for the bridal look — was "ethereal, fluffy and twisted," and he used Redken Rootful 06 to bring it to life. The second — for the colour section — was a high ponytail "looped around and pinned down into a shell-like shape. It's almost a reverse chignon." Fashion Works 12 and Forceful 23 played a key role in creating that style. And lastly, for the print section, Pulitano created a low ponytail with a centre part, looped around on itself. They were teamed with three different makeup looks, too. Kate Squires (Napoleon Perdis) said the first was all about sheer skin and a sparkly eye that is "not too overpowering" and created using the brand's Disco Glitter. The second makeup look focused on a matte red lip and the third was about flushed skin and a lip stain "as though she's been sucking on berries." It was finished with a "poolside blue eye" that was slightly extended. Take a look at the different beauty looks now.
2012 MBFWA: Akira
Akira Isogawa treated us to a beautiful presentation at The Box today, proving in his own quiet way that no one does prints and colour in such a dramatic, yet measured way. His signature modern-Oriental aesthetic was executed with panache, making the theatrical wearable and the traditional somehow new. There were two colour stories running concurrently; an all-white, ethereal, bridal-appropriate capsule of gauzy, appliqué laden dresses topped with fantastical tulle head wraps. Then there were the vibrant colour and print displays splayed across fluid silk sheaths and open kimono jackets. Traditional Japanese patterns and blooms mixed with tropical floral prints, topped off by large-scale neck-plates or textural snoods. Together, it was truly a thing of beauty.
- Colours: Red, white, Schiaparelli pink, canary yellow, sky blue, white and black.
- Trends: Graphic prints, Tropical prints, texture and Oriental (obviously).
- Key Looks: Any of the printed kimono dresses and a particularly pretty floral appliqué white dress.
- Accessories: Geta-esque printed-platform two strap sandals, tulle head wraps, fabric covered head pieces, textural neck-scarves and floral motif neck-plates.
- Front Row: His loyal client base and the editor pack.
2012 MBFWA: Front Row Beauty Looks Day 5
MBFWA has almost come to a close! But not before we saw some stunning hair and makeup inspiration from the likes of Suboo and Akira. We weren’t the only ones wowed by the colour from Suboo’s morning show, as it attracted some gorgeous ladies to the front row. Jesinta Campbell and Zoe Balbi played with pretty pink lip colour, while tousled, wavy locks were seen on the likes of Kate Waterhouse, Casey Burgess and Nikki Phillips. We’re almost at the end so check out some final celebrity beauty looks at Fashion Week, and don’t forget to catch up on all our MBFWA fashion and beauty reports.
2012 MBFWA: Suboo
Day Five of fashion week can be a struggle. Shows and days blur, and it's hard to muster excitement for an early morning show, let alone one off site! However, Suboo's Friday morning slot proved no barrier all of the above. Suboo may be known for their beachy-lifestyle accessories but their ready to wear debut lifted front row spirits and got us seriously excited about Summer. Cheery abstract prints, shots of chartreuse, and anglaise-like perforated cottons was expertly cut and spliced to make figure-fitting maxi dresses that were cooler than the average resort offerings. Contrasting crochet edging, colour-spliced panels on knife pleated skirts, bustier tops, sexy side cut-outs and racer necklines made the poppy collection of silk jumpsuits, cotton voile dresses and one piece swimsuits modern - but sexily so. These are the sorts of clothes that make you want to skip off to the nearest tropical island STAT, piña colada in hand. Suboo's collection heralds from somewhere we would all rather be.
- Colours: Neon chartreuse, cornflower blue, powder blue, mint green, pale pink, tangerine, white, cream and black.
- Trends: Pyjama dressing, cut-outs, sheer, neon, graphic prints, jumpsuits, peplums, pastels and thigh high splits.
- Key Looks: A strapless chartreuse and white spliced bustier-top maxi dress, mint cotton sundress with cut-out detail peplum, net-spliced printed one piece and one particulary fab tangerine cut-work lace dress.
- Accessories: Two-strap sandals in gelato three way splices, black and white, or plain peach colourways.
- Front Row: Nikki Phillips, Kate Waterhouse and Jesinta Campbell.
Snap & WIN! Score A FREE Ultrabook™ — Inspired by Intel — With Your Best Fashion Week Outfit
Last day to enter is today!
Do you like your tech-y toys with a side of style? Us too! Luckily we'll have an Ultrabook™ — Inspired by Intel — on hand at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia to help us bring you all the runway, backstage and front row action as it happens. The Ultrabook™ — Inspired by Intel, boasts everything we look for in a Fashion Week partner. The ultra-sleek design (less than 21mm thick to be exact!) slips in and out of our handbag with ease, the battery life runs for hours thanks to Intel’s energy efficient core processors — which means it’ll withstand the 12 hour days of coverage we’ll be delivering you live all week, and the zippy responsiveness goes from deep-sleep to fully awake in a flash, so there won’t be any delays in bringing you everything Fashion Week has to offer. Sounds like a dream, right?
Because sharing is caring, we're giving away one of these ultra-cool Ultrabooks™ to a suitably stylish FabSugar reader! Get your paws on your own super sleek, super fast (thanks to Intel's zippy Rapid Start technology) Ultrabook™, valued at $1, 499, by simply channelling your inner Anna Dello Russo. Snap yourself in an ensemble worthy of a front row perch at Fashion Week, then email it our way. We're going to post our favourite 'fits and ask our readers to help decide the winner, so you may see your stylish-self on the site! So, what are you waiting for? Get snapping and start dreaming of owning your very own Ultrabook™!
Email your FULL LENGTH pictures to mail@fabsugar.com.au — but hurry, entries must be in by TODAY!
2012 MBFWA Power Pieces From The Street: Jackets
We're rounding up our street gallery from MBFWA today with perhaps the most powerful piece of all: the jacket. Thanks to Sydney's Autumnal weather there's been an array of styles on offer throughout the week inspiring our Winter wardrobe prep. From leopard print to add glamour, faux fur for texture, and man-style to keep things structured, there's never been a better time to invest in the most versatile piece of clothing you'll ever own. Let's give it up for the jacket...
Photography by Ben White.







