Interview with Gemma Turvey, Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program 2016
By Marisa Jayne
The New Palm Court Orchestra (NPCO) is involved in one of the highlights of the VAMFF Culture program. For their one night only event, they team up with up-and-coming men’s designer Vincent Li, to create an exquisite collaboration between fashion and music. I had the chance to chat with the artistic director of the NPCO, the lovely Gemma Turvey, and tried to pick her brain about the relationship between the two industries and what to expect from the event.
What is the New Palm Court Orchestra and what are your aims?
The New Palm Court Orchestra is a 9-piece chamber orchestra, and we combine the freedom and improvisation of jazz with a more classical kind of aesthetic. We are trying […] to make beautiful music accessible to more people. [As the Artistic Director] I am involved in looking at the programming, organising the musicians and deciding what the theme for the music is going to be. For this concert, rather than looking at a direct fashion line, it was more looking at a program that was going to speak to the audience on a variety of different levels.
To you, what’s the connection between music and fashion?
There are so many and the more we have been working with Vincent, we have kind of both agreed they are inseparable. I mean you can look historically how pop music influenced fashion and vice versa, and I think that the similarities are that we are both trying to create an aesthetic and to communicate a mood, or a feeling without being too imposing.
What are the thoughts of the role of individual expression in the two industries?
It is really important that individual expression is nurtured across both industries. I think that we are in a very interesting time where that it could go either way with the pressures of current political events. We must make sure that individuals know how to express themselves or can articulate their own feelings and thoughts and opinions. [This] is important to shape all the arts.
How did the concept come about for Saturday Night’s event?
There are lots of different components, so it is not just a runway with some music in the background. The idea was actually quite mercurial to start with, as we wanted to reach a new audience base and VAMFF was offering this cultural program and we thought let’s put the two together. Carol (Deputy Chair of NPCO and moderator for panel discussion) was already working with Vincent Li with his first range last year and put us two together and we talked about the possibility of doing something. We clicked straight away […] as Vincent comes from a very similar place artistically to me.
What can we expect from the night?
The evening will start with an optional panel discussion which [will explore] fashion and music and improvisation across both those industries and how it is used, to try and dispel the myth and fear about it. […] [The panel includes] Janice Breen Burns, Vincent Li and Dan Walker (a Melbourne composer). The concert will then be in two parts, […] with the first part showcasing Vincent’s Li’s new autumn/winter 16/17 collections, which will be showcased with some models on stage whilst we play. [...]
The second part includes our guest soloist, Maximilan Riebl. He is […] a countertenor, and […] it is stunning, seeing this muscular, big guy with this beautiful high voice. Vincent is dressing Max in some really theatrical garments to match the pieces that he is singing. We might start with just a black tuxedo, just to show the contrast. The male musicians of the orchestra will also be wearing Vincent’s shirts, so fashion is threaded throughout, giving the audience lots to look at and think about without just being cut and dry.
Lastly, describe the event in three words.
Poetic, theatrical and fantastic!
You can check out our review of the New Palm Court Orchestra and Vincent Li Collaboration also here on Buzzcuts.
