Back in August, Nicola Finetti had conversed that rising Australian model Myf Shepherd was going to be very recognisable and do enormously well. The case has been that she has done marvelously as with the case of Stephanie Carta who was photographed in a feature shoot in Bhutan by Max Doyle and Abbey Lee Kershaw as well as Alice Burdeu, with Myf transforming herself overnight after not been recognised in having the qualities to be an actual model. Catherine McNeill unfortunately has not been around due to illness. So where are they now?

Abbey Lee earlier showed for the Resort 2009 collection of Gucci and showed in New York Fashion Week this year as well as Paris. Some of the shows she walked included the Spring 2009 Gucci show, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Donna Karen, Daughters by Obedient Sons and Versace.

Stephanie Carta has very well. In particular, she walked for Raf Simons’ Jil Sander this season, Balenciaga’s Autumn/Winter 2008 show and Alberta Ferretti.

Myf Shepherd is seriously the new young gun. Exclusively shown in London based periodical 10 Magazine which also featured an in-depth focus on fellow Australian model Abbey Lee, she has already walked for numerous shows which have included Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, Chanel, Balenciaga, Fendi, Prada, Gucci and Missoni (to name only a few!). At only 17 and looking to make a serious career inmodelling, her C.V. is sparkling.

Alice has done wonderfully. In most particular, she walked for Parisian Australian Martin Grant, Peter Jensen, Sonia Rykiel, Louis Vouiton earlier in the year and lastly but certainly not least, Richard Nicoll.

Congratulations to all of them for doing great so far.

Out And About

Lastly, please view some amazing photographs during the international fashion weeks of Milan and Paris by Scott Schuman at his Style.com page here.

New York Fashion Week has always constantly mesmerised and a considerable fanfair, an eventful week jampacked warming the hearts of every fashion buyer and special guests. This year’s addition was however, more special being that giving full flight to a selection of up and coming or already brightly sparkling Australian models, of which included Stephanie Carta, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Alice Burdeu and of course rising star Myf Shepherd. The former selection all ran for Australian designer Kit Willow with the exception of Abbey Lee being absent from the main runway presentation.

Elizabethan girl, actress and star in Spiderman and Elizabethtown Kirsten Dunst gave a big lending hand to her down to earth, intelligently witty personality who became the collection model for Band of Outsiders. Scott Sternberg for this new season created a running look revolving around the actress preferring this than the typical process of casting models. The new collection broke away from the winter fold, the heavy plaid and wool from his ‘native’ Scotland; the juxtaposition and use of cropped shorts that eloquently delivered a single breasted jacket blazer in white. Coats and dinner jacket, elongated knee length dresses and striped waisted skirts fitted well overall over white buttoned placket shirting. The broad shoulder dress continuously provided a comfortable and calm silhouette. You can still look casual without sacrificing too many details or the dreaded requirements of a multi-striped t-shirt.

We’ve become quite acquainted with the duo of Obedient Sons. The team of Swaim and Christina recognising that in particulars of their last season, a strong male silhouette took full flight in tailored panting and jackets. The new season has sought to greatly enhance the more bright and cool colour tones, all complimentary white. Single breasted jacket in rich textured white accompanied high waisted pants, folded at the bottom with a slight fit and slight upper narrow pleating. This followed a meticulously printed floral pattern integrated in offset with a light weight button shirt dress and slight ruffled narrow shoulder details, perfecting the overall design.

In this new collection, the choice of fabric became more exposed and experimental. In one particular example, a red Art Nouveau patterned motif was printed on a single breasted jacket and matching shorts, cropping the traditional complete pantsuiting still however retaining the top button collar shirting in light cream white. An elongated cotton jersey knit, leather khaki safari textured shirt, the inner lining shimmered manifesantly which sought to outrightly hightlight the well-blanaced high wasited shirt and blouse. Draped, the skirt could have not done away with no embellishments. It required those sequential buttoned as a beatiful key feature. The collection transcended an oxford/sea blue light wash throughout. Moreover, an extended coat jacket, side pocketing consisted safari yellow and a yellow cardigan were part of the collection. A luxurious use of safari fabrics that more than anything, seem to pay homage to Flemish fashion with those large white hats.

Whilst reading Nick and Susien Chong’s blog, of course designers of Lover here in Sydney, they had brought attention to the Texan polygamist story with that being the ladies of the ranch opening a clothing line of their normal everyday wear, long blue dresses that reminded you of old Hollywood western film or ‘Little House on the Prairie’ or even perhaps ‘The Hillbillies’. Mirroring her succession as a seasonal designer, there may perhaps of a small surprise to everyone that Karen Walker’s collection was not as anticipated highly to be that directly vibrant or even sensational like in her previous collection work. But this new collection titled ‘The Believers’ was reinforcing a toned down attribution of elements with each garment holding its own set of referenced myriads. Extended cuff blazer with royal blue lining, blue oxford cloth shirting worn nonchalantly fixating itself with off yellow folded pants, puffed shirt mini dresses and a chambray wash textured button shirting was featured. Textile edged long dresses in silk were finely tuned which, white poplin shirting were additionally tailored. A rich silk blue jacket beautifully constructed, a velvety blue wavy dress and in most particular an elongated trasparent purple shirting structured perfectly have extra bottom lengthening.

Marcus Wainwright and David Neville opted for something more radical, more undoubtedly and unsubtlely English than that era of British Punk. The biker leather jacket returned in full jet black and considered it as a blacklash of pop culture and postmodernist. Rough edged narrow plaid pants, the narrow stovepipe pants with front zipper rip detailing in silver, patterned floral leggings provided a good black outline contrast. Slit pocketing and slacks with shirting suspenders resonated Manchester 1975. Extended coats and inside wool cardigan were worn. Think of it being Charlie Chaplin transforming himself into a Punk. Oh wait, didn’t one of the black v-neck t-shirt say, ‘Helvetica Protects’? Helvetica in noir? It is an omen for typographers and graphic designers? (Jan Tschihold!)

Whilst last season for Shipley and Halmos was very well developed in terms of the articulation and further advancement on the traditional dinner and tuxedo suiting with strong black and white colours the cropped black leather jacket and ankle boots and checkered shirting, it was an opportunity this season to give a complete overall colour fluidity. Fabric choices were highly glossed in tactility. Short shorts in waist black, long flowing tower pants in white cream white, an elegant black sleeveless dress, hourglass power dress in velvet green, an extremely delicate orange peach button dress was a strong focal point within the entire collection. Shipley and Halmos did not completely evade their last collection. Often retaining some recurring elements of the tuxedo suiting with the black dinner dress pants for men and women - the tailored pieces were much more vibrant and delectable often translating them to black short sleeve dresses with a bit of swing, structure and potency.

New York Fashion Week Highlights

Where is Irina you might ask? Just for this season, she’s sitting back and enjoying the runway shows.

Australian womenswear designer Kit Willow has always surprised many given that she resonates something which is still home grown but forging a multilateral quality which can be recognised instantly. What resonates in the new season for Kit who returned to show in New York Fashion Week for this year, a soft and charismatic set of soft silk dresses, light textile printed patterning of lines and blotches with soft draped overhanging leaves of a good original intepretation of a typical jumpsuit. The lines which create a visual and tactile rhythm that draws attention from bottom to top elevates this great sense of feminine sensuality. The hard lines within the fabric is contrasted through the towering flow of the sculptured dresses including front embellishments in soft pastel orange, peach and cream white. A very beautiful collection.

Other

By the way, whilst waiting for Jil Sander men’s shirting to always drop half price at your favourite store, what about something great by Comme_des_Garçons? Pictured is the ‘Forever’ shirting collection. Further information from Nomad here.

To see full collection images and more information, please view the respective shows shown here on Style.com.