#169 Kirrily Johnston

Kirrily Johnston's show, 'Black Perfume,' was inspired by the decadence of the Paris and Shanghai opium dens of the early 1900s. Opulent it was, but it reminded me more of Greek goddesses, with the flowing dresses and heavy gold jewellery. The show opened with some 100% orange outfits, followed by stripes, black and white - an eye-catching mix of colours though not quite as blinding as World's. There was a touch of sex appeal in the sheer silk satins and georgettes which allowed us all to see a few boobs.

As I walked out of the show I heard comments such as "nice" and "cute" and "could have been more LA...or Sydney."

The Kirrily Johnston show marked two firsts - the first time an Australian designer has shown at a New Zealand Fashion Week, and the first outing for another Australian: rising superstar model Vanessa Milde. I had a talk with Rhiyen from 62 Models yesterday and he told me that she's booked 20+ shows so we'll be seeing plenty of her this week.

Jordan Rondel

Photos by Michael Ng