Colour of Summer Unveiled > Back To Resources Main

Holly Lloyd-McDonald

A WILD contingent of Melbourne fashion designers is heading north this weekend to dazzle at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week with the best in summery wares.

With Melburnians unfurling coats and scarfs, it's a different story in the fashion world with cool bikinis, slinky dresses and wispy materials set to be unveiled from Sunday in Sydney.
The industry-only event will host more than 90 designers in 38 individual and eight group collection shows. Innovative wares from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysian and New Zealand designers will also descend on the show.

Buyers from New York, Italy, Japan and London, among others, will be there to snap up brands for international retailers.

Danish supermodel Helena Christensen will be on board as Harper's Bazaar magazine guest photographer, while Perth model Nicole Trunfio will return from international catwalks to grace the harbourside runways.

At venues overlooking Sydney Harbour and Circular Quay, fashion week is the No. 1 event on the Australian fashion calendar and Melbourne's Roger Grinstead is ready.

"It's been mental," he confided.

"But it's so worth it to watch everything transpire.

"There's no words to describe watching a pair of shoes being made with my name on it."

Grinstead, 33, of Caulfield North, described his collection in the New Generation 2 show, as "feminine, floaty and quirky".

A fashion lover from primary school, Grinstead predicted fabrics would be sheer for the summer 2004-05 season and a step away from the hardcore look