The collection for Spring 2010 by Bassike was the second collection by the duo at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal having held their first at Format Furniture in Surry Hills during the Spring 2009 season with a collaboration with Michelle Jank

The anonymous, infinite, inescapable circular shaped blob or dot that with two or more instances make a graphic onto a poster remains the sole visual semiotic which has indeed encompassed itself onto garment ensembles by Mary Lou Ryan and Deborah Sams the two Australian designers of Bassike. It’s boundary is inescapable with no corners and acute edges and is centric to all outside space. But every dotted or graphic circle like Bassike’s motif holds an origin and this origin holds our attention dead straight and centre like an archer’s arrow. Both designers have consummated a collective prowess that through their individual and partnered strengths have grown a pluralistic attitude and tone across organically-minded fabrics of jersey garments, specially washed denim and the emergence of a dedicated tailoring line. When the courant and buzzwords seen in the local fashion industry are these sustainably sourced fabrics and operations as close to a vertically integrated system, Bassike values organic cotton production throughout their produced garments to solidify a greater sense of durability. Not only have they endeavoured to make this in full-effect, for their more tailored basics, both designers have striven to produce denim and the pedigree consistency of Italian yarns and Japanese factories to deduce an impeccable quality and fit.

Even if the brand’s same meaning for ‘basic’ contradictory to the insistent image of banal, ubiquitous t-shirts, raglan sweaters that would swiftly identify an Antipodean image, distinctively the brand does not feel entirely so. Basics that have stormed in since the brand’s early inception and evident at their previous off-site RAFW show during the Spring 2009 season at Format Furniture in Surry Hills, well-made fabrics incur a well-deserved reputation and considered price. So such that their current season with dark grey wool cashmere coats and specifically aged premium Japanese denim, staples in a trans-seasonal year deserve their intrinsic and valued quality.

Both designers have pushed the envelope and steering their modus operandi in full force with originality. Starting from their Autumn 2009 collection, they ultilised the lens-flaired skills of Australian New York photographer Beau Grealy. Beau who has previously photographed for American Vogue, Dansk and Qvest focally captured his signature atmospheric quality, stripping and revealing Australia’s backyard sun-drenched and infinite radiating sunlight upon Bassike renditioned clothes that immediately took effect a discernible and divine Australian beauty.

Like buttoned and slip-on garments that of which appeared canistered to be left maturely fermented, a series of denim chambray pieces in jackets and jeans were first introduced followed by double pleated sky blue shorts and overlaid white jersey tops and impeccably stitched shirting that appeared in white and pale grey. Following from this were nautically striped ensembles in cropped slender pants and cut-out vests and a feathered wing motif blown up on a woman’s shoulder tank top, deep scooped men’s t-shirt and matching shorts and a visually impacted tied trench coat. Both designers discreetly punctuated their tailoring collection which consisted of a pastel blue pantsuit and iron grey fine checked pantsuit for the woman. Whilst the monochromatic colours of black and white has begun to slowly saturate our eyes, our retinas instantly popped outwards whereby this collection further extended its textures in gossamer, cobwebbed sweaters and in cropped t-shirts also.

Designers of Bassike Deborah Sams and Mary Lou Ryan; Photography by Cultures In Between

The entitled new collection, ‘Silence in Dichotomy’ felt playful, acutely-accustomed to premium cut fabrics but remain distilled in a new kind of Australian pret-a-porter. Their Australian fashion week presentation was just the climatic tip as the brand is already clinched by some of the best international stores. London’s Liberty, Bluebird in Chelsea, Net-a-Porter and not least Oki-Ni the last of whom consists of an artisanal trove with Raf Simons’ main line, Maison Martin Margiela and Damir Doma.

Australians setting themselves apart from others are known for their deep rooted entrepreneurial spirit and undoubtedly the high-level of brand and fabric meticulousness is a tour de force especially in the realm of men’s fashion who are scrupulous and to the point of detail savagery they care for.

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