RAFW DAY 1 & A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

After much hype surrounding the fifteenth year of Australian Fashion Week and which designer would open the event, who would be modelling and which international celebrity would be gracing our shores it took a newcomer to steal the limelight last night in what was his first official full show at RAFW. The name to watch and a designer with much anticipation was Christopher Esber. After a false start last year due to a death in the family that led to him to pull out of the event, this was his moment to shine and show his craft.

Following in the footsteps of Josh Goot and last years newcomer Dion Lee, there is a similar design aesthetic running through Christopher’s work, a modernist approach and execution which will appeal to fashionista’s and career girls alike. The collection was both sexy and subversive with clean minimalist lines in simple tailoring, sculptured sheath dresses and leggings with a luxe sporty vibe reminiscent of Helmut Lang’s early work in a palette of urban monochromes and mostly black and white. Lots of soft black leather pieces, sheer panels and cut out details. Stand out outfit was a soft sky blue full tiered ice-skating skirt with scallop edge worn with a crisp white buttoned to the neck shirt.

Scout was lucky enough to witness Akira Isogawa and Michelle Jank's first collections and this had a similar fashion moment electric buzz leading editors and bloggers to proclaim and twitter that ‘ a new OZ star is born’ and Belinda Seper to rush back stage no doubt staking claim to the collection, and rightfully so…