Style Odyssey: The Ex[ie]perimental Collective

It's been a busy last few weeks.

....With fashion shows, exhibitions, submissions and work, I've definitely been doing a lot of running around. And especially after becoming a bonafide stair-master of the escalators (that go on for eternity!) at Parliament Station, I feel I can now take a little break, rest my legs and let you know about a wonderful exhibition that I was apart of for LMFF's Cultural Festival.

The Ex[ie]perimental Collective was an exhibition curated and produced by Christina Exie involving five emerging designers; Emma Boseley, Miss Exie herself, Katia Di Crescenzo, Kara Liu and myself, Helen Pappas.

Held at the top of Bourke St, the exhibitions was surrounded by the rich culture of Pelligrini's Cafe, numerous tailors, fabric stores and restaurants. So obviously the space at Von Haus seemed highly appropriate to us all. Many of the designers' work hold the ideas of traditions dear, wether that be re-invigorating or completely opposing traditions, the combination of the work spoke harmoniously and fluidly together.

It was wonderful to initiate ourselves as professional designers in such an intermit and personal exhibition. The basis of Ex[ie]perimental was to give an insight into the processes and work involved behind the finished veneer of a designers' final product. While there were many different styles and elements of process on display, each designer exhibited pieces that reflected the essence of what it is they represent and explore.

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Emma Boseley's almost intimidating, hyper-masculine collection was suspended from the walls. the height allowed viewers to marvel at her astonishing skills as a craftsman and tailor, but also at her unique fabrication. Her display created an illusion of a character, dominant and aggressive yet very suggestive and a little bit playful.

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The instillation by Christina Exie was an extension of her concepts developed during her Graduate Collection titled 'Nero'. Christina is a highly tactile designer and her experiments in playing with fabrics, materials and construction is what defines her designs. This draped, metal incrusted and corded fabric compliments her Avant-Garde designs, both in concept and aesthetics.

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Power is not defined by size, and this is certainly the case for Katia Di Crescenzo's majestically crafted jewelry. Her pieces, which were also an extension of her Graduating range, held such emotional strength and beauty. Katia's collection of necklaces and rings seemed to transcend past time, sitting somewhere between wonder, myth and reality, making them like little crystal-balls to her inspiration!

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Kara Liu's serene pieces floated so lightly, almost as if they were the ghosts of existing garments. Kara's clever construction - aiming to eliminate certain design features, eg; pockets, while the information of their presence remained through slashes and open cuts. She seemed to explore the notion of Memory within a garment, and her display definitely illustrated her concept.

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Showcasing my (Helen Pappas) collage work, I aimed to invite viewers into a crucial stage of my designing process. For me, this is concept development. Throughout my graduate project the practice of collage became a crucial factor to my ideas and also defined my final collection. This selection of collages references the links between myth and reality as well as the symbols of masculinity, both in traditional and current environments. I was also exploring the conflict of man, through the imagery of the Spanish Matador and the business man, and in a way, creating a new hybrid of the famous Minotaur, and a shrine to the image.