Alice McCall celebrated 10 years in the business this morning in the light-flooded industrial space of Bay 25 at the Carriageworks. Centre stage hovered a porcelain set (by Alice Babidge, Sophie Fletcher & Robin Hearfield) of jumbled dreams – Grecian statutes, candy lolly pops, jumbo jets and spinning planets – setting the mood for an adventure into the unknown.
Pre-show media, bloggers, buyers and celebrity guests were treated to Pressed Juices delicious range of fresh-pressed delights and Farmer Jo’s handmade muesli’s and granola, while backstage models were treated to sounds by headphone pro Bowers & Wilkins. Taking inspiration from the surreal and the infinite possibility of the lucid dreaming, Cruise ’15 ‘In My Dreams We Were Flying’ is the bridge between fantasy and reality.
Girls stormed the runway in Shoe Cult by Nasty Gal stilettos, wearing loose, glossy locks some and some with heavy 70’s fringes created by Jenny Kim for KMS California.
Alice says of the hair direction: “Jenny Kim and I decided we wanted each girl to shine individually, so we worked with the each model’s natural hair texture, blowdrying the Lady Jayne’s cult paddle brushes and just added a few heavy 70’s inspired fringes to key girls to bring it all together. Working with KMS has been a creative pleasure, Jenny Kim is so casually cool and embodies the KMS California ethos.”
To complement the hair, beauty by M.A.C was kept modern yet sultry where dewy clean skin was paired with inner-eye glitter magic in oceanic blues. Alice says of the look: “the glistening sultry eye created by Victoria Baron for M.A.C represented the celestial nature of the collection.” Final touches included the perfect shape, buff and polish of all model’s nails by Manicare before a slick coat on fingers and toes of O.P.I’s “Kermit me to Speak” oil-slick hue.
Working within a soft spectrum of powder blue, pistachio green, carnation pink and lemon chiffon, In My Dreams We Were Flying’ Cruise ’15 delves deeper – evolving into starry bursts of blue and pink glitter and strange yet magnificent digital prints by US-based collage artists Beth Hoeckel and Eugenia Loli.
Silhouettes spanned from sweetheart rompers, jumbo scalloped skirts and cameo necklines to the more minimal; sculpted neoprene dresses, bomber jackets and bonded futuristic sweaters. A fluted neoprene skirt cuts elegantly at the ankle, perfecting minimal-chic.
Prints are very much the star, where the bizarre and fantastic come to life across digitally-printed bomber jackets, paper-bag trousers, futuristic sweaters and envelope clutches – crisp figures of goddesses, pyramids, serpents, and bejewelled hands swirl through cosmic skies. A digital-print made up of pastel pink paraphernalia creates a playsuit reminiscent of possessions from Lux Lisbon’s bedroom.
Technique and craftsmanship is as always a focus for Alice McCall. Wendy Darling night-time reverie takes form in soft crystal-pleated pantsuits with delicate frills, broderie-anglaise apron dresses, Wattea-pleated playsuits and black tulle twin-sets beautifully embroidered with dancing Nightblooming Water Lilies.
‘In My Dreams We Were Flying’ is a celestial exploration of the imagination and a perfect showcase to celebrate the label’s progression, as Alice McCall celebrates turning 10 years old.
