Rosemount Australia Fashion Week - Day Four...

Rosemount Australia Fashion Week – Day Four… 

Dion Lee

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Raya’ gown

Dion Lee is a talented young designer, who constructs striking garments, that have quite classic silhouettes, but with a bit of a twist. In his Spring/Summer 2010/11 collection, there were literally lots of twist knots in his pieces, each adding fabulous detail with such simplicity. Every piece showcased on the runway was gorgeous and we are all lusting for a bit of Lee in our wardrobe next season.

Karen’s Pick – A classic strapless, gown, ‘Raya’ is gorgeous with a twist knot feature in the centre of the bodice, which draws the eye to where the waist has been cinched.

Dion Lee

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Hannah’ gown

The intricate draping on this Dion Lee dress is fabulous, with different coloured fabrics really emphasising the detail featured. We love that nude palette too – fabulous for summer.

Karen’s Pick – Grecian inspired ‘Hannah’, draped in soft georgette, has twists around the bust to fall beautifully in the skirt in fluid movement.

Karen’s Tip – When having a gown with so much detail, opt for minimal accessories and let the gown be the hero.

Gail Sorronda

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Chantilly Bodice’ and ‘Pleated Skirt’

Gail Sorronda’s ruffled dresses are divine and instantly grab your attention, without being over the top! The hair and headpieces were fantastic in this show, simple yet such a statement – a Karen Willis Holmes favourite.

Karen’s Pick – For a ruffled, layered tulle look, the ‘Pleated Ruffle Skirt’ in our couture collection, worn with a petticoat underneath is fabulous. The petticoat with layers of tulle that has satin ribbon edging is a favourite – it creates another feature to the skirt altogether.

Karen’s Tip – with such a dramatic skirt, keep your top simple and fitted, otherwise it will be too much. The ‘Chantilly bodice’ is the perfect options for a pretty, yet low-key style top.

Gail Sorronda

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Rachel’ jacket.

Necklines are such an important feature to a wedding gown and we are always on the lookout for something a bit special in a neckline, which is why the ruffled detail on this Gail Sorronda dress particularly caught our attention.

Karen’s Tip – If you want a ruffled neckline look, but want to keep your dress simple, opt for a little jacket like ‘Rachel’ with a cute ruffle collar – practical as well for brides getting married in the cooler months.

Gary Bigeni

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Rita’ gown and corset

Gary Bigeni’s gorgeous draped looks are so relaxed, yet sophisticated. This outfit is the perfect type of outfit to wear to a ladies-only high tea.

Karen’s Pick – ‘Rita’, with its asymmetrical draping in burnout satin, creates a bit of relaxed sophistication, with a belted ribbon to accentuate the waist.

Karen’s Tip – For a more fitted look, go for corset bodice (right) with curved draping on the torso to really accentuate and give you shape. 

Gary Bigeni

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Bacall’ ensemble

This Gary Bigeni number is yet another example of his relaxed, sophisticated style. It looks like a simple T-shirt dress, but it is so much more with a bit of complex draping and a cute little belt to finish off the look. (Love the shoes as well!)

Karen’s Pick – There is no rule that says a wedding gown has to be a one-piece dress, and the ‘Bacall’ jacket and skirt combination is a perfect example. A silk jersey jacket-style top, with a liquid silk satin skirt creates a beautiful outfit. The wide belt with round buckle completes the look.

Karen’s Tip – This is a great option for a cocktail-style reception, accessorise with some feathers in your hair, or a net birdcage veil for a classy, vintage look!

Kirrily Johnston

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Kate’ gown

Kirrily Johnston’s long empire line dress accessorised with an eye-catching yellow necklace screams tribal chic, but is also a great shape idea for brides-to-be.

Karen’s Pick – For a similar look, opt for ‘Kate’ with an empire line and soft georgette ribbons wrapped around the bust and falling down from the centre front. Finish it off with some crystal beading at the centre front, or a diamante brooch for an overall polished look.

Karen’s Tip – Empire lines are a great choice for petite girls. This design is also good for girls with slightly larger busts as the ribbon detail around the bust area creates a bit of a slimming effect.

Kooey

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Theresa’ gown

Kooey swimwear creates fantastic options for a simple, yet sexy bathing suit. This one-piece costume, with a plunging neckline and ruffle collar, it is so cute and chic, while still being right on trend.

Karen’s Pick – Go for a soft georgette ruffle collar, like ‘Theresa’, for a more modest option for a wedding that will still look just as sexy and sophisticated.

Kooey

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Gina’ gown

Layered ruffles again! We just can’t get enough and this little swimsuit from Kooey, it is adorable.

Karen’s Pick – Layered ruffles on the bodice look gorgeous and has a bit of a quirky vintage feel. ‘Gina’ (right) with layered georgette ruffles is fantastic with its simple satin skirt.

Karen’s Tip – Girls with larger busts should avoid this sort of feature, but it is perfect for girls with smaller busts who want to create a bit of volume. Finish it off with an embroidered or diamante belt for a complete vintage look.

Michael Lo Sordo

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Collette’ gown

It is safe to say that this RAFW has been all about the soft draping, as it is not only a stunning visual but is also flattering on so many body shapes. Michael Lo Sordo’s softly draped nude dress is so feminine and chic, a great one for a girl’s night out.

Karen’s Pick – The ‘Collette’ gown has a very similar cross-over draping on the bust line – so pretty.

Karen’s Tip – The heavier draping across the bust with the ruched georgette, is softened with the delicate lace cap sleeves on ‘Collette’. When going for a ruched detailed bodice, it is good to stick to more delicate sleeves, if having any, or keep it nice and clean with a strapless look so as not to have too much bulk around the neckline.

Ruby Smallbone

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Anna’ gown

Ruby Smallbone’s grungy, body-hugging dress uses ruching and side panels to draw the eye in and create the illusion of a slimmer bodyline – isn’t that what we all want?!?

Karen’s Pick – ‘Anna’ is ruched to one side with a sequinned panel to give a really flattering look and creating a more forgiving shape out of a fabric that normally shows all the problem spots.

Ruby Smallbone

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Carla’ gown

Such a contrast from the tight structure of the previous gown, Ruby Smallbone also utilised to key season trend of draping using super soft fabrics for a gorgeous finish.

Karen’s Pick – The sexy, silk jersey gown called ‘Carla’ is beautifully draped and just hangs delicately from the hip.

Karen’s Tip – Soft draping in a knit type fabric can show all your bumps, so choose the right lingerie. Those body stockings/seamless corsets are great to get a fabulous shape and a clean finish.

Ruby Smallbone

Karen Willis Holmes corset

The panel lines on this sexy Ruby Smallbone number again bring the eye to the centre, which we have mentioned is so flattering for most body shapes. We are also loving the colour scheme used here – the black on nude dress, with the peachy-orange coat works wonderfully.

Karen’s Pick – One of our new lace bodice corsets features lingerie style panelling super stylish and sexy, while helping to create a fabulous shape through the torso.

Rosemount Australia Fashion Week - Day Three...

Rosemount Australia Fashion Week – Day Three…

Alice McCall

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Daisy’ gown

Alice McCall’s designs are always very fun and pretty, and this collection showcased this signature style of hers. This little strapless, high-waisted dress, with its sweetheart neckline is such a sweet design. The use of the print fabric has the ability to add detail to a simple silhouette.

Karen’s Pick – To channel this fun little number in your wedding gown, look no further than ‘Daisy’. With its soft sweetheart neckline, detailed with gorgeous scalloping, teamed with the high waist and made from a gorgeous embroidered tulle lace, this is the perfect design match!

Alice McCall

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Karenna’ gown

A world away from bridal, but at Karen Willis Holmes we are huge fans of this gorgeous neckline and the fabulously, fresh colour.

Karen’s Pick – This colour can be a bit hard to pull off for most people, but the neckline certainly isn’t! This type of neckline really frames the face and is very soft and feminine. The ‘Karenna’ gown showcases this look and also boasts a long fitted bodice to help to give you a killer body shape. 

Kate Sylvester (left) and Bianca Spender (second from the right)

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Roberta’ and ‘Poppy’ gowns

Ruffles sit very comfortably in the whole flirty, feminine theme we are seeing a lot of in the Spring/Summer Collections this year. Kate Sylvester (left) and Bianca Spender (second from right) offer up two lovely alternatives for this trend.

Karen’s Tip – For those wanting to rock ruffles on their big day, opt for a fitted bodice with a ruffle skirt like ‘Roberta’ (second from left) rather than having too many large ruffles throughout the whole dress. The reason for this is that the ruffles have the ability to swamp you. In a short style like Bianca Spender’s design, this is not an issue, but in a long gown, you can end up looking a bit overdone. If you do want a full ruffle look, go for a very simple comlumn silhouette, with very small, delicate and soft ruffles, like the ‘Poppy’ gown where the ruffles become more like a texture and create a vey soft romantic, yet quirky feel.

Kate Sylvester

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Angelica’ gown

Kate Sylvester always keeps her designs super chic and unique and this is evident here, with a simple gown consisting of soft draping and quirky details (the shirt collar necklace).

Karen’s Pick – ‘Angelica’, a soft georgette wrap-around overlay, works over a base gown to create that lovely floaty look, similar to Sylvester’s design.

Karen’s Tip – Pop a brooch or a small fabric flower at the hip to finish off the look!

Bianca Spender

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Carmalina’ gown

Bianca Spender has created a stunning design, with the use of a nude palette and the popular soft draping, resulting in a sophisticated and sexy gown.

Karen’s Pick – With an intricately draped bodice, high waist and adorable cap sleeves, ‘Carmalina’ shimmers in diamond silk organza. Finished off with a diamante brooch at the waist, this is a truly sophisticated look for the modern bride.

Karen’s Tip – Draping that follows V-shaped lines on the bodice help to draw the eye in to the centre and create a more flattering shape on the torso with the detail.

Manning Cartell

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Penelope’ gown

A plunging neckline is always sexy and Manning Cartell proves this is the case, whether done with a sheer overlay or in a more pretty look with lace, it is a definite showstopper.

Karen’s Pick – ‘Penelope’ with its plunging neckline, is perfect for the bride who is seeking a bit of a sexy feel to her wedding gown, without being overly exposed. Simple and chic.

Karen’s Tip – Plunging necklines are definitely one for girls with smaller busts. Those with larger busts run the risk of looking a bit too risque in a deep neckline.

Konstantina Mittas

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Grace’ and ‘Rebecca’ gowns

Konstantina Mittas’ draped corset style dress is a perfect example of how flattering draping to the side can be for the figure, as it prevents the eye from looking straight across at the hips, which tends to be the widest part in your gown.

Karen’s Pick - For a classic look, go for ‘Grace’, a beautifully draped, full gown. Alternatively, for a slight twist, ‘Rebecca’ features asymmetrical draping on the bodice and within the skirt, creating that little bit of difference from the more traditional ‘Grace’ gown.

Nookie

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Audrey’ gown

Nookie has designed a sexy shift with a pretty gathered scoop neck, perfect for a casual beach affair.

Karen’s Pick – For a flattering shape, opt for a slightly body skimming line like the ‘Audrey’ gown. With its lovely scoop neck and simple line, it is a perfect option for a beach or garden wedding.

Karen’s Tip - Switch the plain cap sleeves for some little lace ones for a softer, prettier look.

If you were in search of a modern, unique choice for a bridal dress, you could go for one of these options. A lace jumpsuit from Bianca Spender (left) caught our attention first, or Jayson Brunsdon has created a sexy alternative that could look lovely for a destination wedding...

RAFW Highlight - Romance Was Born...

Karen’s Diary – RAFW Highlight

Romance was Born

Last night I attended the show of Romance was Born. When I received the invite (above), I knew I was in for a treat.

Anna Plunkett, one of the designers behind the label, was once a Karen Willis Holmes staff member, so I always love to show my support and go see her designs and shows. Anna has always had a style of her own, we always used to love anticipating what she was going to wear to work every day - it was like our own mini fashion parade watching her, she always looked like she stepped off a catwalk.

I am always so impressed with the Romance Was Born designs, and of course this show was absolutely marvelous! Anna and Luke Sales (the other half of the talented Romance Was Born duo) have really outdone themselves and I could not be more proud of Anna and how well she has done in the industry. She is such a sweet girl and I am always amazed at the things she and Luke come up with!

Below are a few highlights from their show ‘Renaissance Dinosaur’.

Before the show started, we were waiting to go inside the hall, and I have not seen so many extraordinarily dressed people in one small space before! Sporting a lot of Anna and Luke’s designs, it was quite spectacular to see.

There was a long list of who’s who in the front row, with lots of well-known industry folk.

Before the show began, I took a snap of the catwalk.

Decorated with rocks and boulders, it was not your average catwalk – lots of drama.

Just as the show is starting, everyone’s attention is focused on what amazing creations are going to emerge!

An amazingly detailed dress, with a large renaissance style collar. The collars in the show were also all made by a current employee here at Karen Willis Holmes – Teresa Redrup, who has previously studied millinery and is currently studying costume. Teresa often crafts beautiful head pieces and creations for Anna’s shows.

A ‘scaly’ dress, designed to look like a dinosaur’s skin. I love how the scales graduated from small to large in size and are much heavier on the bottom – created a striking effect.

The volcano dress – a crazy and fabulous concept that no one but Romance was Born could have done!

An action shot of a very colourful creation – the movement of this piece is absolutely amazing.

Not your average daywear – except for Anna and Luke perhaps!

Anna and Luke always seem to have a bride and groom as their finale at the end of their show, although never a conventional couple of course! This year was no exception, with the bride carried out on the groom’s shoulders.

A huge congratulations to all those involved in the Romance Was Born show – a fantastic success and I wish Anna and Luke even more success in the future!

Rosemount Australia Fashion Week - Day Two...

Rosemount Australia Fashion Week – Day Two…

Rachel Gilbert (left) and Bec and Bridge (right)

Livinia Nixon in Karen Willis Holmes (centre)

Silver has been a feature colour on a few runways so far this fashion week, in gloriously simple silhouettes and textures, which is all you need with such a statement colour. 

Karen’s Pick – To really work silver to your best advantage take cue from Livinia Nixon and opt for a simple shape and neckline and let the fabric speak for itself! Livinia wore a silver sequinned backless Karen Willis Holmes gown to the Logies last year and looked absolutely ravishing!

Karen’s Tip – Silver is also an excellent alternative for brides wanting to steer away from the traditional ivory.

Bec and Bridge

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Keisha’ gown

Another simple silhouette, in the form of a strapless column dress by Bec and Bridge. The soft print adds just enough detail to a simple design without overdoing it - perfect. This could also work really beautifully as a bridesmaid option.

Karen’s Pick – The ‘Keisha’ gown, with its straight column shape, looks gorgeous with the textured sequin silk georgette fabric, giving it a special point of different and a bit of sparkle.

Karen’s Tip – Normally with a soft column shape, you have to have a killer body to be able to pull it off. But ‘Keisha’ with its corset base bodice, creates a tiny waist, and is extremely flattering for most shapes. The heavy fabric also has the ability to conceal any problem spots you may have – an added bonus! 

Zimmerman

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Jade’ gown.

Zimmerman’s softly draped dress is on trend with all the soft folding that have been showcased on the runways so far. This dress style is also a great bridesmaid design, creating a sweet and sexy look that the ladies would happily wear again.

Karen’s Pick – For those who are fans of the silky, draped look, opt for ‘Jade’ with a soft crossover at the bust, and a slim flowing skirt, a perfect choice for a spring or summer garden wedding.

Karen’s Tip – With folds and draping over the bust, this sort of design works to create the illusion of a fuller bustline, as the folds create extra volume.

Little Joe (centre)

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Olivia’ and ‘Georgie’ gowns

At Karen Willis Holmes we love the effect of allover lace, and this little shift by Little Joe is no exception, a dress that looks so pretty and fresh.  

Karen’s Pick – The ‘Olivia’ gown (left) is a very classic look, while those who want to add a bit of sparkle to the lace, look no further than the ‘Georgie’ gown with its beading, which catches the light beautifully, lifting the lace with a soft shimmer.

Sabatini White

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Evaline’ gown

Knitwear label, Sabatini white, has created a sexy soft knit version of a classic V-neck, empire line gown – a simple yet sultry look.

Karen’s Pick – ‘Evaline’, one of our classic gowns, is gorgeous in its simplicity and leaves a bride’s options wide open to accessorise in a number of ways.

Karen’s Tip – An empire line gown is great for more petite girls, with the design’s ability elongating legs.

Sabatini White

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Theresa’ gown

A gorgeous soft ruffled dress from Sabatini White. This dress just embodies what summer is all about, with its soft ruffles trickling down the skirt, fun, frilly and feminine.

Karen’s Pick – Ruffles are a gorgeous feature to add to a gown for something a little bit different. The ‘Theresa’, with a ruffle neckline and ruffle detail falling down the skirt, it is a fabulous option for brides having a more relaxed style wedding.

Alex Perry

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Satine’ gown

No surprises that the Alex Perry show was a knock out, with impressive execution and stunning designs on the runway. The floaty feathers on this gown were a fun alternative feature on fabric and create quite the angelic look overall.

Karen’s Pick – ‘Satine’ takes feathers to the next level, with a stunning shoulder feature made entirely from soft feathers, which still allows movement for a softer finish – with a diamante detailing, this gown is an absolute show stopper.

Alex Perry

Karen Willis Holmes ‘Sophia’ gown

This cute little number by Alex Perry was just adorable! We love a bit of appliqué on corset bodices – something that is featured a lot in Karen Willis Holmes designs. The lace softens the panel lines of a corset bodice, giving a slight sexy ‘lingerie’ feel in a sophisticated fashion.

Karen’s Pick – ‘Sophia’ features soft Chantilly lace with corded Chantilly lace layered over glimmer tulle on a corset bodice base – channelling this look with a gorgeous bridal feel.