Paul Vasileff, take a bow… Last night was the highly anticipated finale of the Adelaide Fashion Festival presented by Mercedes-Benz Adelaide. The four day program ended with a bang as designer Paul Vasileff, the creative genius behind the Paolo Sebastian label, blew the crowd away with his two sold out 2016 Autumn/Winter Couture Collection shows.
Unprecedented demand saw one show turn into two and we saw why…
It is a beautiful thing when a designer’s collection can tell a story and seemingly transport you to another world; Paul succeeded (beyond expectations might we add) to take everybody on a journey to the wintery depths of The Snow Maiden.
The intricate detailing, stunning craftsmanship and amazing eye for detail are things that we have come to expect from a Paolo Sebastian collection – Paul just gets it right every time.
Textures of fur, velvet and embroidered cashmere, delicate hand-sewn embellishments, the use of soft tones of gold, ruby, ice blue and snow white laced the runway. Glamour, perfection.
Special guests including Ada Nicodemou (who has worn Paul’s designs on multiple occasions), Jay Weatherill, the Premier of South Australia and many of the other AFF designers attended, not wanting to miss the epic finale. Megan Irwin, an Adelaide girl who has made it big in the world of modelling, was also flown in from New York to walk exclusively for the Paolo Sebastian show.
Always the perfectionist, there was a sewing machine backstage allowing Paul and his dressmakers to make any necessary alterations to the gowns before the models hit the catwalk.
As always with a Paolo collection, we saw full tulle skirts, the dramatic ball gowns that we have come to love and, with the addition of a few shorter designs, a top and skirt combinations, and even a shorter style jacket, there are now some options that you could wear to a cocktail party.
Paul has managed to reinvent himself with every collection, ensuring he remains on his well-earned throne of South Australian fashion. He constantly leads the way with his designs, and consistently takes our breath away.
Always one for the details, the staging for the Paolo Sebastian show was immaculate, and framed the beautiful gowns perfectly for The Snow Maiden collection. The runway was adorned with whimsical branches with snow and a soft haze of mist floated around the room.
Behind every great designer is an amazing team and Paul would be the first to say that he has one of the best… His family and friends help put the show together from start to finish. They had been working on the staging for the show months beforehand. Frames were welded together to hold the mystical forest of trees, which all needed to be carved on site to ensure a perfect fit into the stands. More than that, backstage Paul’s family are always there, helping with dressing models or helping to sew a dress. It has been like that from the time of his first ever show.
Last night was a truly memorable event. As the models walked for the finale, the crowd cheered, some even cried, and Paul got the standing ovation that he deserved. Adelaide (and the world) have certainly fallen in love with the designs from the King of Fashion. Bravo.
Photos by Jackson Fenby from Feud Magazine.
More News
