Unless you are in the fashion industry (or have some good contacts), chances are slim you will ever get to meet a fashion designer, right? Wrong! Melbourne Fashion Week (MFW) offers several opportunities to meet the makers.
One of those meet and greets was hosted by Melburnian designer duo Ali Rauf and Luke Perkins, who were showcasing pieces of their couture label Bird Skin at the Melbourne Town Hall Forecourt.
The exhibition’s highlight, a shisha embroidered dress, came second at Hand&Lock’s embroidery competition in 2017. Hand&Lock is a prestigious, London-based embroidery house which adorns garments for the British royal family, the British military, and famous fashion houses such as Chanel and Dior.
The award-winning dress weighs seven kilograms and was hand-embroidered by the designers.
The designer duo with their award-winning dress
Photo: Laura Simsek
Famed for their use of exotic materials and elaborate embroidery techniques, the duo has also won the second prize at last year’s invitation-only Melbourne Cup Design Award with an equine-themed outfit.
Bird Skin’s equine-inspired outfit
Photo: Ali Rauf & Luke Perkins
Many people say that Melbourne is the city of black clothes, and although the Bird Skin designers also use black for some of their outfits, their mix of different textiles, techniques and ethnic influences make their clothes look anything but boring.
Rauf said their designs were inspired by overseas travels and the cultural diversity in Melbourne. As they often bring materials from their trips, each piece is unique. The designers added that all clothes were handmade, as mass producing abroad would not guarantee the same high quality.
While the exhibition showed the designers’ editorial pieces, more everyday-appropriate outfits can be purchased from their Etsy page.
The meet and greets with various designers at Melbourne Town Hall are free, and run until the end of MFW (September 7).
(Feature image: Ali Rauf and Luke Perkins at their MFW installation. Photo: Laura Simsek)
