News feed
“In nature there are patterns everywhere.” And so, this unspoken line from Aje’s new film, titled Fractal, introduces the Australian fashion house’s Pre-Fall 2022 collection “Biophilia”. Dreamy, ethereal and very Aje, the film showcases design duo Edwina Forest and Adrian Norris’s latest creations, as worn by Australian stars including Mia Healey (of The Wilds fame).
Directed by BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director Shannon Murphy (whose previous work spans Baby Teeth to Killing Eve), Aje’s signature billowy silhouettes, cascading ruffles, and ballon sleeves in fairy floss pink, magenta, vanilla, and cobalt blue, with bursts of citrus, olive and neutral tones are front and centre in Fractal; the garments almost characters themselves. Shot at the Sydney School of Practical Philosophy, Norris and Forest’s creative vision for “Biophilia” was inspired by the architectural splendour that exists in the natural world.
Ethiopian-born newcomer Emawayat ‘Emi’ Elmit – who is deaf – narrates Fractal entirely via sign language, using movement, non-verbal signs and shapes to express the beauty in nature. Her evocative musings, including that “people see beauty everywhere”, are reflective of the collection’s title “Biophilia”, which means an “innate and genetically determined affinity of human beings with the natural world”. Dressed entirely in Aje, Fractal also stars Australian actors Melanie Jarnson (known for her role in Mortal Kombat), along with Krew Boylan (Seriously Red), and Sophie Wilde (Portable Door), and was made in collaboration with female-led production company, Dollhouse Pictures.
“With this film, Edwina and I were discussing how to explore the language of patterns and nature, and how that impacted the look of this collection,” says Murphy. “It was about expressing a sense of freedom and femininity that you feel when you wear Aje’s clothing and in all my work throughout my theatre and film career, I have been exploring what can be communicated without the spoken word and Emi was the perfect person to play our lead for this because she has such an incredible screen presence, strength and beauty to her.
“I believe there is greater nuance and impact on how we can use our bodies to communicate.”
Speaking exclusive to GRAZIA, Healey said the set of Fractal was creatively uplifting. “I couldn’t stop smiling,” Healey said. “You could really feel that everyone was so happy to be there.” She found inspiration in Aje’s collection and the feeling of a breezy, otherworldly freedom they evoked. “Honestly everything that everyone wore was so stunning and looked amazing on everyone’s bodies and complexions,” Sydney-based Healey said. “I remember the green dresses that some of the ladies wore were particularly breathtaking,” Healey noted. “I left feeling so grateful to be in a creative environment where we were made to feel so comfortable to be free in our bodies and mind. It was a very peaceful and joyful experience.”
Watch Fractal below.
