Willow
Nicole Richie,Australia,designer
Nicole Richie in Willow
With fashion fanatics like Nicole Richie, Mischa Barton and Cameron Diaz embracing the collection, and many much larger fashion houses taking inspiration from the designs, Willow is only going to get bigger. Her SS07 collection has just shown at New York Fashion Week to rave reviews, and her fabulously whimsical babydoll dresses are now stocked in Browns, Selfridges, Feathers, Coco de Mer and Coco Ribbon.
Left, Nicole Richie in Willow
Gail Sorronda
Australia,designer
Model in Gail Sorronda
This eye for sleek chic styling, manipulated into the most eyecatching of forms, has earned Gail Sorronda the attention and wardrobes of glamour lovers Dita Von Teese and Winona Ryder, as well as Mischa Barton, who recently sneaked off with a cut away black dress lent to her by London agent Antipodium. Her latest collection consists of skillfully wrapped, twisted and cut away dresses, which will be stocked at Antipodium in London
Fashion from down under
Australia,designer
Mischa Barton wearing Willow
Mischa Barton is a vocal ambassador for new labels from down under. At a recent show in Sydney she said: “Australian designers make colorful, pretty and unique designs, like girly beautiful sundresses\'. Perhaps this is due to the absence of a cold winter, leaving them free to focus on anything but coats, but also due to an distinct sense of style which has been unacknowledged here in the UK for far too long. Here\'s our top 10 brands from down under...
Gail Sorronda
Australia,designer
Model in Gail Sorronda
One of the first generation of fashion graduates from the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbaner Gail Reid showed her first collection at 2004 Australian Fashion Week to rapturous response. Designing beautifully draped shapes, interesting layers and manipulating luxurious fabrics, the one constant in Gail\'s work is the use of monochrome to create dramatic silhouettes
18th Ammendment
Australia,designer
18th Ammendment
This is the uber cool Australian jeans brand whose style is inspired by Prohibition era silhouettes and the coquettish elegance of its screen icons. This means vampy high waists (The Hepburn), smart wide legs (the Bacall) and, mercifully, NO GREY DRAINPIPES. High street ubiquity, brash branding, contrived washes and artificial rips are a world away from the iconic denim created by co-founders Rebecca Dawson and Rachel Rose
Fashion from Down Under
Australia,designer
Antipodium
Australian fashion has moved on quite a bit since Charlene first slouched around in men\'s overalls in Neighbours: Sydney and Melbourne have now become hothouses of quirky, girly and laid back style. UK agent for hot Aussie brand Sass and Bide, Lainey Sherifan Young recently said “There\'s a sense of freedom in Aussie fashion and an independent spirit that comes from women who don\'t posess the fashion snobbery often found in Europe."
Richard Nicoll
Australia,designer,catwalk,richard nicoll
Richard Nicoll catwalk
Although British by birth, Richard Nicoll was raised in Perth. His graduate collection was snapped up by Dolce and Gabbana, and since then Richard has gone on to build a reputation both as a genius at creating casual men\'s tailoring for women, and as the nicest man in fashion. Richard Nicoll\'s show was one of the the hottest tickets at London Fashion Week, and his work has been eulogised by fashion royalty Anna Wintour, Bjork, Sophia Coppola and Kylie
Richard Nicoll
Australia,designer,catwalk,richard nicoll
Richard Nicoll catwalk
Richard\'s label is the perfect example of opposites attracting-typically pairing voluminous cottons with wince making bodices, patent leather with slubby tweeds or bubble shapes in muted spots. Without doubt, though, his statement piece is his shirting. From long, pin tuck shirt waisters which can by cinched in with his belts or corsets, to delicate blouses and mannish tailoring, if you buy one piece of Richard Nicoll\'s, make it one of those.
Alice McCall
Australia,designer
Alice McCall
Like Richard Nicoll, Alice McCall was born in London but bred in OZ, specifically Melbourne, and has grown a devoted following in both countries. Following design stints at both Buddhist Punk and Sass & Bide, Alice McCall then launched her own label in 2004 - with a gorgeously girly range of whimsical dresses, made edgy by dramatic or witty detailing. Quirky touches like bell sleeves and bow belts have since become hallmarks of the McCall label
More fashion on handbag.com
australia,aussie,australian,fashion,designers,celebrities,down_under,mischa_barton,catwalk,ankle_boots
Hilary Duff
Don\'t miss our guide to going from
work to wow during the party season, plus we take a look at the enviable style cv of
Mischa Barton. And don\'t miss this month\'s tricky trend,
ankle boots
Alice McCall
Australia,designer
Mischa Barton in Alice McCall
This season, Alice McCall showed cute sailor twin sets and baby doll dresses alongside quirky golfing wedges and boucle jackets. Perfect if you like your outfits feminine, but not too flouncy. Mischa Barton (
left), Elle Macpherson and Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova have all snapped up pieces from the collection, but the beauty of Alice McCall is that you don\'t need a goddess\'s figure to wear it- just a bit of an attitude
Willow
Australia,designer
Willow catwalk
Kit Willow started out as a visual merchandiser, and only began to direct her artistic sensibilities towards design in 2003, with a collection of breathtakingly decadent lingerie showing at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week. Since then, she has developed a line of bejewelled and sequined camisoles and dresses which are lingerie inspired, in delicate silks and metallic weaves
18th Ammendment
Australia,designer
18th Ammendment
No strangers to the Australian fashion scene, Dawson started out with her own label before setting up with Rose. Together they have the perfect combination of aesthetic sensibility and technical denim know-how for a truly distinctive, desirable jeans brand. Dawson describes the 18th Amendment look as a blend of modern and vintage, "We wanted to create a denim brand that referenced vintage denim in a way that is fresh, modern and relevant."
PaM
Australia,designer
Model in PaM
PaM is a label cherished by those in the know, who are drawn to the slouchy fabrics, nonchalant styling, and sense of unpretentious cool which make PaM what it is. The brains behind PaM - Shauna Toohey and Misha Hollenbach (aka Perks and Mini) rejoice in their status as a kind of anti fashion fashion-designers; their latest collection is designed for \'those that were picked last for the school netball team.\'
PaM
Australia,designer
Model in PaM
Their tongue in cheek aesthetic and refuses to take style too seriously, but is never less than stylish, has found a warm welcome in the street inspired fashion scene in London, and word is now spreading fast amongst stylists and club kids in the UK. Originally just a menswear label, PaM is now modifying its designs for the ladies, giving rise to boyishly styled, cool garments like this season\'s bang on trend tartan shirt dress
Notions of Legacy
Australia,designer
Model in Notion of Legacy
Take the PR, the other half of fellow Aussie cool label Tsubi, and one fanatical vintage expert, and what do you get? An inventive collection of edgy modern pieces, rendered in strong vintage prints and shapes. Selling its first collection this season, Notions of Legacy, by old friends Pip Edwards and Bianca Doyle, is currently getting buyers in London and New York very excited, and has already struck a cord with Sydney\'s trend-setters
Notions of Legacy
Australia,designer
Model in Notions of Legacy
Typical pieces include dresses with bubble skirts in bright cartoon bow prints, and bold cobalt blue, zig zag blouses; the sort of thing that could happily strut from a beach bar in Sydney to a style bar in Shoreditch. A Sydney label through and through. Even better, prices are pretty acceptable by high fashion standards- with £169 bagging you the most original dress on the street. Giving you change for three more
Metalicus
Lindsay Lohan,Australia
Model in Metalicus
Metalicus are regarded as indispensable in fashionable circles down under. Working under the tagline “stretch your imagination\', Metalicus take basics like leggings, vests and stretchy t-shirts and elevates them to an art form. The lycra has give but doesn\'t lose shape, the cotton is unbelievably soft, and the cuts are always just right, making Metalicus the staple of fashionistas such as Lindsay Lohan, who know the devil is in the detail
Metalicus
Australia,hoisery
Model in Metalicus
With a one size fits all philosophy, Metalicus design clothes you can wear \'anytime, anyplace, anywhere\'. They are also available in a huge range of colours, which is added to seasonally. Metalicus\' recent arrival in the UK couldn\'t be more timely - with fashion\'s current obsession with layering, leggings which don\'t sag at the knees are a valuable addition to any fashion savvy girls wardrobe
Lee Matthews
Australia,designer
Model in Lee Matthews
Like Coco Chanel, Lee Mathews has claimed to work by spotting the gaps in her own wardrobe, and filling them with her own collection. A devoted, and rapidly expanding, customer base is merely the happy by-product of her personal fashion whims. Her beautifully cut garments, in finest silks and wools with a vintage \'20s feel, have seen her open three standalone stores in Australia and stockists in London and NYC over the past four years
Lee Matthews
Australia,designer
Lee Matthews dress
The Lee Matthews label is defined by its timeless wearability; think chic cropped jackets, printed tea dresses and ribbon trimmed cardigans. The garments are produced using traditional textile methods in tiny runs of 10-15, many of the trims are still hand-dyed by Matthews, and much of the knitwear is produced by women from the local Red Cross, proving that a cottage industry mentality can get you a fashion industry following
Antipodium
Australia,designer
Model in Antipodium
For three years, London\'s Antipodium boutique has been responsible for importing the finest of Australian fashion to the UK. Set up by PR Ashe Peacock after she moved to London and discovered how disregarded her native fashion was, the shop has introduced us to the likes of Alice McCall and New Zealander Karen Walker and re-moulded our view of Australian fashion. Now Ashe, along with her Oz—based sister Fenella, are producing a line of their own
Antipodium
Australia,designer
Model in Antipodium
They describe the collection as “a wardrobe of must-haves for women who appreciate style with an intelligent dose of laid back cheek.” What that means to us, is slick shirting, foxy minis, and dirty prom dresses, all with witty names like \'Paper Dag Trouser\' and \'In the Biblical sense dress\'. Nothing costs more than £150, echoing the Aussie policy to produce reasonably priced designer wear rather than a mass of identical cheap tat
