Dressed from head to toe in skyblue with her label’s own red trench-coat thrown over the top, Kuwaii designer Kristy Barber looks like some kind of chic superhero as she sits front row at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Designer Series 4. I interrupt Kristy’s critique of her own portion of the event with fellow designer Lisa Gorman to ask, “where does one find sheer leggings to match the exact shade of one’s hair?” Her typically white blonde hair currently dyed pastel blue, Kristy laughs; “it was a great little stocking shop in Barkly Square in Brunswick. Sadly it’s closed now”.

Ah well, it’s Kuwaii’s own collection we are really here to see. Now that this show is over there’s no rest for the wicked, “we’ve just finished Autumn Winter three weeks ago. It’s looking really beautiful. I’m detached enough from it to be able to say that.” By now Kristy would be off to Beijing, China as another wonderful local label being showcased overseas by LMFF. Then onto the Perth Fashion Festival to represent Melbourne Fashion.

But back to the present for the moment. What did she think of the rest of the labels on show tonight? “I thought Alpha60 was amazing, there was no black and I was excited about that. And I loved Dress Up that white with the pink print.” Kristy is also supportive of the local scene in general; “I wear a lot of vintage but I do wear all my local label friends”.

Designer Series 4 featured Kuwaii alongside Gorman, Alpha60, Alice McCall, bul, Dress Up, Megan Park, Obus and We Are Handsome.

Photography by Naomi Rahim

Gorman

Alice McCall

Megan Park

Bul

Obus

We Are Handsome

Kuwaii

Dress Up

Alpha60