Styles: Freya by Stephanie Bellairs, Australia

Key themes are strength and fragility. The rawness and sometimes sadness of living in an unknown world but with resilience and hope. Bewildered beauty.

It started with self reflection. A piecing together of experiences. Inspiration came from many sources: global fashion... nature... art history.

Ballet is a central theme to the collection. I envisioned my models to emulate Ballerinas- beautiful yet slightly ‘broken’. Romantic and raw. To demonstrate this vision, our Creative team collaborated to create a ‘stage’ for our models to inhabit and tell the story. A story of vulnerability and perseverance.

Our Muses are rustically adorned in simple silhouettes as they pose and ‘dance’, practicing their fluid motions against a backdrop of tea-stained drapery. Photographically we opted for soft matte lighting as a nod to the historical portraits of the original Prima Ballerinas. I did however decide to retain a lightness and warmth to elevate the mood.

For the hero- the hair- I wanted to stay true to my signature aesthetic and handmade details are key: textured “pom poms” inspired by eucalyptus flowers, rope braids, woven embellishments and intricately tied hair bows. A bespoke ‘tapestry’ of hair. And to inject a current fashion element back into the mix: a random palette of dirty brights and dusty melts - peach sorbet, seaweed green and petrol hues from navy to periwinkle.

The styling called for ease of movement- like dancers. Soft broderie cotton frills, aged silk slips and semi sheer fabrics enhance the handmade aesthetic. Makeup followed suit with softly powdered faces hinting at dancers chalk with the application inspired by self-taught artistry and backstage self-creations of pearl adorned cheeks and recycled lash fragments.