Dress circle: Leona Edmiston celebrates a decade of frocks

Congratulations to Leona Edmiston and Jeremy Ducker on the 10th anniversary of their fashion label. The occasion was celebrated yesterday at a small lunch in the Boathouse restaurant, which is located directly above Sydney University’s Women’s Rowing Club boatshed on Glebe's Blackwattle Bay. It was also an opportunity to unveil Edmiston’s Spring/Summer 2011/2012 collection, 12 very pretty dresses from which were modelled by Tania Pozzebom, Caris Tiivel and Tiah Eckhardt [L to R, above]. Australia’s answer to Diane von Furstenberg, Edmiston’s hero product is the dress. In fact, that's all she makes. “By focussing on the one thing, we’ve been able to remain independent and grow at our own pace” Edmiston told her lunch guests. 

The business is the third and most successful incarnation of Edmiston’s fashion career, after she co-founded the influential Morrissey Edmiston label with Peter Morrissey in 1983 and then went solo with her own eponymous line in 1998. 

After an acrimonious split with her former business and life partner Peter Hutchison in 1999, the latter business would prove shortlived.

Third time lucky, however, for Edmiston. In 2001, together with new husband and business partner Ducker, she launched what has since blossomed into a highly successful business that boasts 26 boutiques, including six Myer concessions and standalone stores in Los Angeles, London and Shanghai.

Five new boutiques are due to open this year, with yet more brand extensions soon to be added to an already impressive arsenal of Leona Edmiston licenses, from jewellery to fragrance, shoes, handbags, hosiery, eyewear and childrenswear. 

Here's to the next ten years.

Click (here) to see frockwriter's Posterous backstage pic gallery.

 

St Gilda - LMFF 2011

 

So the runway shows are off and running at the L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival. Headsup to any internationals unfamiliar with the event: it's an in-season runway showcase that is open to consumers. In addition to other events throughout the schedule, the naming rights sponsor operates seven multibrand runway shows down at the main venue in Melbourne's Docklands precinct, each presented in partnership with a different Australian magazine. First up last night, the Grazia show featuring Carla Zampatti, sass &  bide, Rachel Gilbert, Leona Edmiston, Tina Kalivas, Romance Was Born and Nina Maya. The styling theme was high glamour, with a mix of high ponytails, cascades of Rita Hayworth curls and ultra violet smokey eyes sported by a cast that included two Australia's Next Top Model alumni, Cassi van den Dungen and Sophie van den Akker.   

Sarah Lorimer anchors Leona Edmiston's Spring Summer 2010/2011 campaign

Frockwriter shot backstage at Leona Edmiston’s Spring/Summer 2010/2011 fashion show in April, presented on the eve of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week at Quay restaurant within the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney’s luxury cruise liner terminus. The show was also the backdrop for this ABC Art Nation story on fashion bloggers. Here is a preview of Edmiston’s SS1011 campaign, which was shot by Ujin Lee and will be unveiled in August in Edmiston’s 21 stores across Australia, as well as London and LA. It stars Sarah Lorimer, who is obviously an Edmiston fave, since she not only featured in the show but also the brand's SS1011 lookbook. Click the image above to see the full-size landscape image.





















all images: supplied exclusively to frockwriter by leona edmiston

New girl alert: Sarah Lorimer

We first saw Sarah Lorimer at Leona Edmiston's Spring/Summer 2010/2011 presentation in Sydney on Thursday. Well here she is again in a few more dresses from the collection, as booked by Edmiston for her SS1011 lookbook that will be dispatched next week. The fresh-faced 18 year-old, who is repped by Chadwicks in Sydney, has been modelling fulltime since the beginning of the year. She will be one of the agency's hot new faces at RAFW next month and in July will be heading off to try her luck in Europe. Frockwriter thinks she has a great look: a little Miranda Kerr, alotta Heather Graham.

Cruise control

Glorious day in Sydney and what a way to spend it - or at least an hour or so - down at the Overseas Passenger Terminal on Sydney Harbour. FYI international readers, this is where luxury cruise liners berth while in town. And while once a daggy, quasi-industrial zone, the area has been revamped with a series of chic restaurants and bars. It also happens to be the venue of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, which kicks off in three weeks time, so it felt like we had all arrived a tad early. We were there to toast Leona Edmiston's Spring/Summer 2010/2011 season launch.

Three models, nine looks... Edmiston might not be joining in RAFW's 15th anniversary festivities, but she did do a fantastic job of launching the season at Quay restaurant with a charming capsule collection of fifties sundresses featuring retro prints and glamorous draped jersey eveningwear.

All accessories by Edmiston, with some spectacular millinery by Nerida Winter, makeup by MAC's Nicole Thompson and hair by Michael Brennan.

The three models were Chic Management's Hermione Cahill (top) and Chadwicks' Sarah Lorimer (third photo, L) and Bronx Whitehorn (pic 11 - with the blue and white turban).

I covered it live on Twitter, but here is a selection of other shots I snapped in and around the venue, before having to dash back to work.

Bring on RAFW.