The Romance Was Born 2017 Spring Summer Collection, Whispering Angel, debuted at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in a stunning historical sandstone mansion in Darling Point. The latest line of womenswear is unapologetically opulent, feminine and a lavish feast for the eyes.
Romance Was Born 2017 Spring Summer Collection
This new collection from the Australian brand conjures up the fictitious parties of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby, the sensuality of Gustave Klimt’s Art Nouveau works and a little Liberace thrown in for good measure.
As the models floated down the grand stairway at Sydney’s Carthona House and then made their way outside, heads turned at the beaded, fringed, feathered and sparkly creations.
Undoubtedly over the top, some of the gowns were red carpet ready, while others were a bit more tongue-in-cheek. The models were perfectly styled for the event with romantic loose curls, bright red lips, glittery eyes and dewy faces.
Here’s a look at the entire show, in no particular order.
About Romance Was Born
ROMANCE WAS BORN’s vision of womenswear encompasses both new and classic modes of fashion resulting in fun elegance. Designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales met whilst studying and their design partnership began simply from a mutual admiration of ideas and blossomed into production with the official launch of the label in 2005.
Otherworldly prints form the basis of their collections inspiring the theme and story behind their designs. They share an obsession for detail, fascinated by all forms of hand finished fashioning from the naïve joy of craft to the awe of a highly skilled couturier, both elements inform their creations. The duo work together designing across their fields so there is a dynamism and synergy to the process resulting in a unity of technique.
The pair are known for their ability to transform fashion into a glimmering chimerical paradise full of wonderment. They use this nebulous dreamscape to explore vast themes rich in fantasy and dense with vibrant imagery. Plunkett and Sales are very inspired by other artists inviting collaborations that take them beyond their creative comfort zones exposing them to new contexts. They see these artistic collaborations as vital to their process keeping them open and able to operate outside the trappings of fashion trends. Indeed these collaborative labors produce the basis for their exquisite prints, which are the language of the collections.
As creative professionals the duo are often invited to work beyond the world of fashion. Recently as guest curators of the Johnston Collection in Melbourne they meticulously arranged the rooms of the Fairhall House Museum under the title and theme “The Bride, The Ship and The Wardrobe.” In 2011 the Sydney Theatre Company commissioned Romance Was Born to design costumes for their production of “Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness.”
