Showcards: Chadwick Models (women) - MBFWA SS 13/14

nicola walsh via chadwick models

Part IV of frockwriter's MBFWA Spring/Summer 2013/2014 model showcards series: the women of Chadwick Models in Sydney. The agency's show pack includes a dozen internationals who are flying in from the US, Canada, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Malaysia; a few local faves such as Katerina Chang, Sarah Lorimer and New Zealand's Samantha Shorter; and a hell of a lot of new Australian faces, who are brand new to the event this year, some of whom we have recently covered in our New Faces series and elsewhere.

Showcards: Chic Management (men) - MBFWA SS 13/14

sam armstrong via chic management

Next up in frockwriter's MBFWA Spring/Summer 2013/2014 model showcards series: the men of Chic Management. Yesterday we brought you the Sydney agency's women's show pack, which includes some of the most successful Australian women on the international show circuit at present. The men's show pack is headed up by three of Australia's most successful male models. 

Showcards: Chic Management (women) - MBFWA SS13/14

grace simmons via chic management

And now to the second instalment of frockwriter's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia Spring/Summer 2013/2014 model showcards series - a preview of the models who will be doing casting rounds in Sydney over the coming weeks, in the lead up to Australia's biggest fashion runway showcase. Chic Management usually heads into the event with a major show pack and this year is no exception. 

Zimmermann swaps MBFWA for New York Fashion Week

krystal glynn backstage at zimmermann SS1213

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is counting down to the Spring/Summer 2013/2014 showcase from April 8 -12 at its brand new venue, Carriageworks. That’s nearly a month ahead of the event’s traditional time slot of late April/early May, a change that was made last year after concerns were raised by many in the industry that the timing was too late for contemporary buying cycles. But it seems you can’t keep everyone happy.

MBFWA's top showgirls

Julia Nobis owned the runways of last year's Australian Fashion Week. Nobis had far bigger fashion fish to fry this year in the northern hemisphere, leaving the Australian Spring/Summer 2012/2013 field earlier this month wide open to the score of Australians rising up behind her. Last month, frockwriter published the MBFWA showcards of Australia's major model agencies; in each case a mix of runway veterans and promising new faces. So who had the busiest schedules at this year's event? We asked the agencies to name their top showgirls. 

Ksubi paid its MBFWA models in cash - with a 'trade' bonus

nicole pollard backstage at ksubi SS1213

Couldn’t help noticing a tweet from top Australian model Melissa Johannsen this morning, thanking Ksubi for a AUD 500 gift voucher which had just arrived. “Oh yea! thanks @Ksubi...such an awesome show!” read the accompanying caption on Johannsen’s Instagram shot of the voucher (below). Knowing how endemic the practice of payment “in trade” has become in the modelling business - i.e. designers offering clothes and accessories instead of cash - we assumed the voucher might have been Johannsen’s fee for the Ksubi show at Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week on April 30th. Not so, responded Johannsen, who told us that she never works for trade – at least not in Australia.

Skeleton key

File this under impromptu frockwriter styling. During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia earlier this month, we were shooting backstage at the menswear group show and couldn't help but do a double take as we walked past Jesus lookalike model Butch Dean being kitted out in a rather spectacular piece of body jewellery. A stainless steel exoskeleton to be precise, or so we christened it, designed by Perth jeweller Alister Yiap and deployed by another Perth-ite, Zsadar designer Shane Newton, to spruce up Newton's segment of the show. We took a shot of Dean - but not before asking for the piece to be turned around backwards, so as to best highlight the design, which is far more discreet from the front (both versions, below). Posted simultaneously on frockwriter LIVE, frockwriter's Facebook and our pop-up MBFWA live blog UNCUT, the shot proved the most popular of all the images we took at MBFWA. Among its fans was Michael Christofis - the Sydney-based designer behind mens' swim- and underwear brand The Navy Diver. So enamoured was Christofis of Yiap's creation, he immediately contacted Yiap and has since used the piece in every single shot of a new promotional series for The Navy Diver starring model Benjamin Gellie. And yes, it's worn backwards.

Three minutes with Angus Low

A score of models passed through Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia last week in Sydney - and in front of our camera, for our live coverage of the event on the Fashion Week UNCUT live blog. It was great to finally meet one in particular: Angus Low, who we have profiled several times in recent months. We first met Low at Toni Maticevski's off-schedule presentation the week before MBFWA (above). He had been cast alongside one other male model to perch shirtless on the podium under Maticevski's couture-clad glamazons. Then last week Low appeared in Song For The Mute's menswear show, his only MBFWA gig before heading off for other bookings. We had a quick chat as he was walking out the door.

De-Sex: Phoenix Keating - Spring/Summer 12/13

henryk lobaczewski

With Australia's biggest frockfest - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia - just around the corner, the off-schedule action continues apace. This morning, Carla Zampatti confirmed that one of the biggest fashion stories of recent seasons – the lace dress – is far from over with, among other looks, a sensational series of second-skin, stretch lace dresses and separates in a sugared-almond palette, popped with tangerine. Tonight, it's Phoenix Keating's turn. In the year since we first profiled Keating, the now 21 year-old Sydney designer managed to attract the attention of Lady Gaga, who wore several of his pieces during her appearances in Sydney in July last year. Unlike some other emerging Australian designers, Keating isn't just all show and no sell. He sells through four Australian stockists and has a custom 'couture' business. But Gaga might well be interested in Keating's new 'De-Sex' SS1213 collection which is all about "the de-sexualisation of fetish" and blends some mid century vintage silhouettes with sharp tailoring and a little Latex and rope binding. Here is a first look at the collection – via a series of images shot by Henryk Lobaczewski, starring Lauren Moody. 

The producers: Lara Karamian - MBFWA SS 12/13

backstage at miss couture SS1112, sydney, may 2011/lara karamian

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia starts next Monday in Sydney and today, the event began to bump in to the Overseas Passenger Terminal site. Production teams are scrambling to put the finishing touches to show concepts. Yesterday, as part of frockwriter's pre-MBFWA series, we posted a chat with producer Mark Vassallo. And now here is a Q+A with Lara Karamian, arguably the busiest producer of the week. Karamian has been with Australian Fashion Week for 12 years. After graduating from the University of Technology of Sydney in 2000 with a Bachelor of Management – and a major in event management – she worked as an event producer for Spin Communications, the sister company of Fashion Week founder Australian Fashion Innovators, eventually moving onto Fashion Week proper as an in-house producer. In 2005, Karamian founded her own independent events company called LARA INC and today counts Alex Perry, Lisa Ho, Toni Maticevski, David Jones, Marie Claire, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Australia's Next Top Model among her clients. 

The producers: Mark Vassallo - MBFWA SS 12/13

backstage at josh goot SS1112/sydney may 2011

Sydney-born, but now "globally"-based  (or so he says on his new website), Mark Vassallo has had a hand in some of Australian Fashion Week’s biggest fashion ‘moments’ of recent years. He has played the roles of independent publisher (Mark and Petit Mal), editor (Follow), fashion director (Harpers Bazaar Australia), creative director, casting director and stylist. He launched the career of Gemma Ward, among others. And he has helmed a number of memorable  runway presentations, for designers such as Josh Goot, Dion Lee and Romance Was Born. As part of frockwriter’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia SS1213 series, we thought we should give it up for - and pick the brains of - some of the hardest-working, least-visible players of the fashion week pack – the producers. First up: Vassallo. 

The designers: Camilla - MBFWA Spring/Summer 12/13 preview

camilla franks SS1213 lookbook/justin ridler

Are Australians renowned for their love of colour? You bet. We live surrounded by surf, sun, sand, The Great Barrier Reef, Rainbow Lorikeets and the red earth of the outback and this seems to be reflected in much of the clothing we wear. Picking up where legendary Australian designers Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee left off back in the 1980s, Camilla Franks, Sydney's co-called 'kaftan queen', is responsible for some of this country's most dazzling resortwear. On Monday 30th April Franks will present the biggest show of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, when she showcases her Spring/Summer 2012/2013 'Gypset' collection on 42 models. Here is an exclusive preview of six styles from her SS1213 lookbook shot by Justin Ridler on Ollie Henderson and Kendall Walters.

The Distance Between: LIFEwithBIRD - Spring/Summer 12/13

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is a fortnight away and the off-schedule action has begun. This morning, under the spectacular raw concrete arched ceiling of the Utzon Room inside the Sydney Opera House - directly across the harbour from MBFWA's Overseas Passenger Terminal base - Bridget McCall and Nicholas van Messner presented the Spring/Summer 2012/2013 collection of their LIFEwithBIRD label, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. 

The showgirls: Priscillas Model Management - MBFWA SS 12/13

amelia zadro/tommy clark via priscillas

Sadly, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2012 will be Nobis-less. That is, without Julia Nobis, one of the world's busiest showgirls, who is currently otherwise occupied with far more pressing matters in Europe. Regular readers will recall that Nobis broke her own show record in March, by walking in 73 shows from New York to Paris for the Fall/Winter 2012/2013 season. But the Nobis mothership - Priscillas Model Management - does have a posse of some 30 showgirls for MBFWA, including big local names such as Emma Balfour, Alice Burdeu, Ruby Jean Wilson, Lauren Brown, Bambi Northwood-Blyth and Amanda Ware; exciting new girls like Amelia Zadro (above) and some cool internationals.  

The showboys: Priscillas Model Management - MBFWA SS 12/13

jacob hankin/jordan graham via priscillas

Judging by the traffic over the past week, it's clear that some readers can't get enough of frockwriter's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia Spring/Summer 2012/2013 model showcard posts. So here are two more for you: the women' and mens' show packs from another major Australian agency, Priscillas Model Management. First up, the guys - who include a half dozen new faces who have never previously been seen at the event. Two cases in point Jacob Hankin (above) and Sylvester Terzini - the son of famed Sydney restaurateur Maurice Terzini (Icebergs, North Bondi Italian Food, Nield Avenue etc...). They join established local names such as Max Pernickety, Juan Onekawa, Mason Mulholland and Nathaniel Rooklyn and a few internationals.

The showboys: Gear Model Management - MBFWA SS 12/13

jono palmer via gear model management

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is primarily a showcase of womenswear collections. That said, a few designers also do menswear and this year's event, which runs from April 30th - May 4th at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal, includes one group menswear show. All the agencies whose MBFWA SS1213 womens' showcard packs frockwriter has published over the past three days - from Chic to Chadwick, Viviens and The Agency Models - also of course represent men, who will be out and about at MBFWA show castings, alongside their female colleagues. This time we thought we would focus on some guys. It's a particularly strong group of new faces from another new, niche Sydney agency called Gear Model Management (which, likewise, also represents women). These new faces include striking 22 year-old Sydneysider Jono Palmer (above), who looks like the love child of Andrej Pejic and Megadeth's Dave Mustaine. 

The showgirls: The Agency Models - MBFWA SS 12/13

petra goodall/gavriel maynard via the agency models

Yesterday frockwriter brought you the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia Spring/Summer 2012/2103 showcard packs from three of Australia's biggest model agencies - Chic Management, Chadwick Models and Viviens Model Management. But there are also a number of independent, niche players in the industry. Case in point, Lincoln Ferguson's The Agency Models. In 2011, this Bondi Beach-based boutique firm scouted Krystal Glynn, who was a hit not only at last year's event, but also at New York Fashion Week in September. Glynn is back this year for MBFWA, alongside Lola Van Vorst and a number of very interesting new faces, who are not all your typical model glamazons, but include some very cool-looking 'indie' girls. In fact 10 of the agency's 14 SS1213 showgirls are new faces. 

The showgirls: Viviens Model Management - MBFWA SS 12/13

eliza baker via busy models

Who will be walking the runways of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia later this month in Sydney? Here is the third instalment in frockwriter's MBFWA SS 12/13 showgirls series. After the Chic Management and Chadwick agencies, now comes Viviens. And while there are some well-known names here - such as Melissa Johannsen, Avril Alexander and Vanessa Milde - what's interesting about this particular model pack is that of the 41 women being promoted by Viviens for the event, over half are new faces. The agency reports there is already considerable interest from MBFWA designers in newcomer Eliza Baker (pictured above). 

The showgirls: Chadwick Models - MBFWA SS 12/13

georgia herbert/cameron etchells via an adventure

So who will walk the runways of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia? Here is Part II of frockwriter's MBFWA SS1213 showgirls series: the show pack from Chadwick Models. Once again, it's a mix of new, established and international faces. It is a testament to the ongoing success of the Australian modelling industry that, as with Chic Management, Chadwick's show pack includes two models who, although hitherto unseen at Australian Fashion Week, already have international runway experience. Jenna Hall has walked at Berlin Fashion Week. And Claire Collins has done one international ready-to-wear season. Oh - and a Chanel haute couture show. Our new fave Katerina Chang is also new to the event; as is Kiwi Brigette Thomas, the 2011 winner of New Zealand's Next Top Model.  

The showgirls: Chic Management - MBFWA SS 12/13

gabby westbrook-patrick/chic management

The big kahuna of Australian fashion showcases – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia – is just around the corner, April 30th – May 4th. The official schedule is now confirmed. But who is going to walk the runways? Frockwriter has some answers. For their Spring/Summer 2012/2013 'show packages' - that is, the models promoted by each Australian model agency to designers for the season - the agencies have gathered together an exciting mix of new faces, local runway veterans and some internationals who are flying in as we speak for castings. Here is Chic Management’s MBFWA lineup.