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Lesleigh Jermanus, the award-winning fashion designer behind cult-favourite resort wear label ALÉMAIS forwent the typical “soft launch” approach to opening Australian Fashion Week with her Resort ‘24 runway show.
The collection, which marked the designer’s runway debut on the official AAFW schedule didn’t sartorially reference the ‘Monday at 10 AM’ location or time slot, rather the show whisked audiences away into a fantastical dreamlike discotheque fitting for the silhouettes and sounds of the collection.
Kaleidoscopic and surreal, the brand honoured its high-octane DNA with whimsical effervescence, drawing inspiration from a melange of reference materials: Ziggy Stardust’s iconic red star sigil, Madonna’s Jean Paul Gaultier cone-bra from her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour and even the surreal costuming of the 1985 fantasy film Return To Oz.
ALÉMAIS isn’t in Kansas anymore, they’re in Oz’s stratosphere, quickly become one of Australia’s most revered fashion labels in the process.
As Jermanus told GRAZIA, I remember watching it [Return To Oz] as a child and being enthralled by how dark and mystical the story was.” “Watching it again as an adult I was so inspired by the opulent costumes, set and soundtrack,” she added.
Naturally, this meant the collection was a melange of vintage-inspired silhouettes. Puff shoulders were inherently avant-garde by their structural and protruding proportions, appearing borderline playful like the Queen of Hearts costume from Alice In Wonderland.
Vibrant pussy bow blouses were paired with metallic micro shorts, offering a contemporary take on a Miami Vice-approved summertime silhouette. Almost every colour of the rainbow was employed to evoke this dreamlike, discotheque disposition, in turn inviting the audience into a textural universe that felt like a menage of different universes.
Jermanus explained this best herself, describing the show as “immersive, a play on new artful proportions and a trip through our dreams.” “Presenting a collection at AAFW for the first time has pushed our imagination to new places of exploration and experimentation,” she noted.
As the models floated down the runway to the sounds of yore—The Rolling Stones, Blondie, David Bowie and Donna Summer—Jermanus’ vision for the label became explicitly clear: she comes in colour everywhere, she’s a rainbow.
This year, the GRAZIA Australia team travelled between AAFW shows in the refined style of Toyota’s new RAV4 GXL. With its modern and spacious interior, privacy glass, and fast charging portals for our phones, it was the perfect mode of travel for zipping across Sydney. To find out more, visit toyota.com.au
