The penultimate night of the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival saw The River View Room at Optus Stadium morph into Studio 54. The mirrored DJ stage at the beginning of the runway hinted at the Rock Star Royalty runway show and party to come.
Stefan Gosatti
When much loved artist Stormie Mills took two casual steps on stage and stood staring down the runway, the crowd went wild and the scene was set for an uber-cool night.
Stefan Gosatti
As music by Prince and Blondie et al rang out, models strutted down the runway in the new 70’s inspired Empire Rose collection, by WA style icon Kathryn Cizeika.
Stefan Gosatti
There was flannel, tartan, customised slogan tees …
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and sequins, lots and lots of sequins that bounced off the over-sized mirror balls hanging from the ceiling. It was Rock n Rolla heaven.
Stefan Gosatti
Telstra Perth Fashion Festival Director Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan said Empire Rose’s show at TPFF oozed seventies glamour.
“Empire Rose has been a festival favourite for years and I love how Kathryn Cizeika continues to up the ante with her mesmerising collections,” Ms Harvey-Hanrahan said.
Stefan Gosatti
Studio 54 was all about individuality and permission to be who you really are, an attitude taken on by several of the models who clearly enjoyed showing off this collection. Usual stony faces were replaced with boundless personality. It was infectious.
Stefan Gosatti
“Once you walk through the doors, you are free,” Cizeika said of the Studio 54 inspiration. “The barriers are coming down and it excited me to be around the type of energy where people’s inhibitions are being diminished and they have the strength to be who they want to be. It excites me not only as a designer, but as a human – that people are feeling more courageous in their freedom of expression and I think that this comes through with fashion first and foremost.”
Stefan Gosatti
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The Rock Star Royalty show ended with a standing ovation and as I stood among the crowd I pondered:
- The smiles around the room showed everyone was feeling the warm embrace of acceptance Cizeika had created on the runway;
- I could imagine Prince and Deborah Harry sitting front row appreciating what they were seeing;
- I feel so fortunate to have been part of a very special night of love and acceptance, one I will remember for a long time to come;
- The night left me with a reminder of the original styles we flouted at university, such a shame that individuality gets squashed out of you over years of corporate life. But maybe it doesn’t have to be so? I feel a period of renewed creativity coming on;
- It was a delight to see Cizeika walk the runway at the end, the love between her and Mills clear for all to see.
For more information go to Telstra Perth Fashion Festival
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