There were many moments that will stay with us from Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2023. But one show that genuinely swept us off our feet was Nicol & Ford's enchanting Thursday evening show, titled 'Comet'.
"Comet aims to deconstruct the conservative and covering shapes of Regency fashion, liberating the beautiful bodies beneath," said designers Katie Louise and Lil Nicol-Ford after the show.
And beautiful bodies were abounding backstage, where talented siblings Sarah Wilson and Thomas Wilson White spent some time capturing dazzling moments before the show. You might spot a few familiar faces, like Mia Dennis and Api Rainima, and behind-the-scenes CPC fave Miguel Urbina Tan was working his wizardry on styling. See the magic for yourself and hear from the designers themselves below...
How would you describe your label in a sentence?
Conceptual demi-couture made by community, for community, in celebration of beautiful bodies.
Did you have a particular person in mind when designing this collection?
Comet aims to deconstruct the conservative and covering shapes of Regency fashion, liberating the beautiful bodies beneath. The breadth of our casting shows that comet is for everybody.
Most exciting and most overwhelming thing about fashion week?
Most exciting is working with our wonderful collaborators to bring the concept to life, including Matea Gluscevic (Done By Matea) on Footwear, Phoebe Hyles on jewellery and millinery, James Harvey (J. R. Harvey Leathergoods) on leather, Tobias Sangkuhl on hardware, Fetu Taku on movement direction, Jonny Seymour on music and Hugh O’Connor on production design in order to build the full fantasy.
Most overwhelming is leaving the studio for the first time in months to join the fray of fashion week!
If your fashion week collection was...
A colour: Flesh
A song: 'Dust and Water' by Anohni
A food: Oysters with mignonette dressing
A mood: Sensual
A language: Alien dialect
A place: The future
A famous person: Arca
Anyone else you would love to thank after the mammoth undertaking that is a AAFW?
We have had the immense privilege to work with Pinky (Nicole Thompson) for Make Up For Ever and John Pulitano (Headcase Hair) for O&M and are so grateful for their enthusiasm to bring our otherworldly vision to life. The wonderful Rae Begley of Utopia Vision will forever be our guardian angel of Fashion Week.
Photos: Sarah Wilson Film: Thomas Wilson White
We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional owners of the land on which this shoot took place.
