Block Party, The Social Studio

Review by Aleczander Gamboa

Hot damn, the Social Studio really knows how to throw a party. In partnership with Northside Records and Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program, the Peel Street Block Party was back and better than ever as it celebrated fashion, art and music in one stunning spectacle.

Featuring an eccentric line up of events, the show was headlined by House of Beige DJs Remi & Sensible J, brass band 30/70 and cosmic duo GL who were Triple J’s 2014 Unearthed and Falls Festival winners.

In addition to the music, the Peel Street Block Party also gave an opportunity for emerging labels and designers from refugee backgrounds to display their creative prowess.

CEO of The Social Studio Susan Yengi said the Block Party was a family oriented event where people could come and celebrate their cultural differences while bringing everyone together, especially through fashion.

“Our designers couldn’t be more different – from experimental to uncomplicated silhouettes, there’s something here for everyone. But there’s one thing they all have in common – a strong desire to succeed,” she said.

Indeed, the fashion was certainly a highlight – unlike your typical runway where models are expressionless and stony faced, the models at the Block Party were fun, bubbly and energetic as they strutted their stuff down the catwalk. Collectively, the fashion show was an exciting display of bold bright colours that not only radiated in technicolour for the world to see, but were versatile enough to be worn evening and day.

Overall, it became a day to remember where attendees were able to let go, have fun and feel rather than think.

Courtyard Cantina, Immigration Museum

Review by Aleczander Gamboa

Located at Melbourne’s iconic Immigration Museum, the Courtyard Cantina was a spectacular celebration of culture, art, and diversity. With a vast array of live music, fantastic food and good conversation, the event was a cultural feast that showcased how far Melbourne has come in terms of accepting different cultures with open arms – an atmosphere well suited to its name of ‘Cantina’ which means ‘for anybody’.

Music included Latino street music, 50s throwbacks and even good old soul. Meanwhile, the food ranged from Middle Eastern to South American, from the likes of Burn City Smokers, Trailer Made and El Alamo to name a few. As the event ran for each week for the month of February, every week had a point of difference to keep attendees guessing and wanting more. To coincide with its partnership with Melbourne Fashion Festival, a free wine tasting session was available to all the guests in attendance.

When interviewing Immigration Museum Programming Manager Eleni Kaponis about the event, Kaponis said that the purpose of the event was to provide cultures with an outlet to not only showcase their talents and works, but also more importantly to educate people on diversity and acceptance.

“It’s all about empowerment of the individual and their cultural heritage, linking it back to multiculturalism and how widely accepted it is here in Australia,” she said.

Upon viewing the mini exhibitions of fashion from different countries from emerging designers including Yaz’s Designs and Dima G, the unique designs stands testament to how influential culture is on the world of fashion.

Overall, Courtyard Cantina showed that despite our cultural differences, art and fashion have the power to bring us together in more ways than one, empowering us to celebrate our uniqueness in stunning technicolour.

Rule of Thirds, Chunky Move

Review by Aleczander Gamboa

Hosted by Chunky Move, Rule of Thirds is an incredibly intricate performance that celebrates the perseverance and courage needed to reinvent oneself in the face of self-doubt. The piece is the third and final part of Chunky Move’s Embodiment series – a trilogy of interventions between dancers, a movement score and a chosen site.

For the final part of the trilogy, we are taken back to the theatre space where minimalism runs rampant and our minds are free to wander, ponder and ultimately let our curiosity set in while we wait for the magic to happen on stage.

The lights dim down, and a beautiful silence fills the room. As a smoky haze enshrouds us, a man enraptures our gaze as he effortlessly moves his body with sublime flexibility and fluidity. Ebbing and flowing to the centre of the stage, he is eventually joined by two female dancers as all of their performances become interwoven and synchronised with one another.

Captivated by these dancers, we are unaware a fourth one lurks in the shadows, ready to make his spectacular debut towards the end when pounding music, intricate choreography and tantalising technicolour takes centre stage and creates an ending with a bang.

What’s incredibly striking about this performance piece is the fluidity of the dancers. Mesmerising is how we could describe it. When they move, we are hypnotised, transported into another dimension where reality coexists in harmony with illusion and we are allowed to feel, rather than think. There is no such thing as past or future, only present.

But it’s not just the fluidity that strikes a cord, it’s also the music and stagecraft that interweaves itself into the performance. Its synchronisation with the dancers is faultless as it is seamless. The lighting simply heightens the pace in these moments of tension and softness, imbuing the room with effervescent colours of blue and green as the performers portray intimate vignettes of self-doubt, self-hate and eventually self-reinvention. The smoke acts as a mysterious curtain between our fear and the unknown.

When the performance ends, the audience is left with a sense of longing not just for the piece, but for own lives as it proposes us with a simple question – are we doing everything we possibly can to achieve our true potential in life?

The performance is visual imagery at its best, and when a physical piece forces you to call into question everything you think you know about yourself – that is the definition of great theatre.

Combining fashion and technology in one glorious spectacle, the Stagelabel Interactive Runway featured eight emerging designers along with collections all startlingly different from one another.

With creative designers spanning across Australia and overseas, those selected to feature in the runway were cast via online voting through Stagelabel’s site. And it seems the public had it right, as the event clearly showcased emerging talent in the best way possible with a runway that gave their collections the attention and adoration they deserved.

When thinking about the event as a whole, the word “diverse” is what comes to mind. Indeed, they were quite the collections to behold. Ranging from daywear, evening wear, swimwear and formal wear, it was a fascinating experience to revel in glitz and glamour of a runway event.

But a highlight of the night was definitely Nathea and Naseera Salleh, creators of Thea & Seera. Originally hailing from Brunei, the collection was an escapade through the exotic wonderland of Asia. With glamourous hues of gold, blue and plum, the designs presented an overall tropical feel that was both striking and eye-catching.

Designers featured on the night:

AshMaybe – Ashleigh Becker, Melbourne

Billy and Boo – Belinda Lapenta, Melbourne

Braddon Taylors – Pop Morgan, Canberra

Delightful Darling – Hayleah Ralph, Melbourne

Lola and Lamar – Siobhan Norris, Sydney

Love by Nathaly – Nathaly Munoz, Melbourne

Millicent Elizabeth – Tiffany Stuckey, Adelaide

Thea & Seera – Nathea Salleh and Naseera Salleh, Brunei

Stagelabel Interactive Runway featured as part of VAMFF’s Cultural Program 2015.

Photo credit: Tacitic Photography

Hosted by Stagelabel, the Emerging Fashion Industry Talk helps out with exactly that. Bringing in industry professionals from emerging fashion designers, prominent stylist and magazine editors, the event provided insightful expertise into how to get started in the industry.

Separated into four different sections, each category delved into various aspects that were paramount to succeeding in the industry. From utilising technology, fashion branding and public relations, to production and legal information, the talk covered all bases with style, élan and panache.

Indeed, it was a refreshing experience hearing the success stories of emerging creatives in the industry. Like many in the field, it’s tough to have consistent motivation and enthusiasm in such a competitive industry, so being reminded that prominent entrepreneurs like Nixi Killick and David Briskin were once in our shoes is a reassuring afterthought.

Other names included Jessica Wilson (creator of Stash’d), Lana Hopkins (creator of Mon Purse), Carlos Mangurbat (freelance stylist) and Tione Tracks (co-owner of Level Up! Magazine).

If those in attendance were to pick one thing to take from the whole session, it’s that in order to succeed in what we love, we need to be able to invest blood, sweat and tears into what we do. Work hard. Build networks. Have a point of difference. Like Nixi Killick put it so beautifully – “be sure you’re ready to roll”.

The Stagelabel Emerging Fashion Industry Talk played as part of VAMFF’s Cultural Program 2015.

Photo credit: Chareli Seet 

But this isn’t your typical showcase of bridal collections. In fact it’s quite the opposite. What sets this exhibition apart is that for the first time ever, we are given insight into the creative process itself – from its humble beginnings to the intricate final stages.

Created by emerging fashion designer Alexsis Cstar, the showcase takes the iconic wedding dress and lays it out for all to bear witness, revealing how a style comes into fruition, how an idea is formed and ultimately how these two intricate notions bring a vision to life. A celebration of the technique and thought process that goes into every unique dress, a universal marriage between art and design.

Upon entering the gallery, we are immediately immersed in the relaxed atmosphere and entranced by the elegance each wedding dress exudes. Taking inspiration from architecture and geometry, each dress follows a consistent structure of clean cuts and sharp angles.

What are immediately eye-catching were the names given to each dress. Names such Cate, Verity, Paloma, Margot and Alexandra permeate throughout each individual dress. It adds a human element to the entire exhibition, but when Alexsis explains the context behind them it takes the designs to a whole new dimension.

“The names were inspired by friends, family or famous personalities. For example, ‘Margot’, with its sleek bias cut silhouette, was named because it evokes that 1930’s spirit, and Margot is a name that is reminiscent of the era,” Alexsis explains.

“’Paloma’ was inspired by Picasso and cubism as Paloma was one Picasso’s daughters. Verity was named after my niece who contributed some suggestions that I incorporated into the final design.”

When asked about her emergence into fashion, Alexsis explains that she did not find fashion, fashion found her. Originally working for retail and fashion boutiques, her interests in creating her own label ignited when friends and families would ask her to design bridal dresses for their wedding. After realising her passion in this field, she decided to invest full time and hasn’t looked back since. And the result of this effort has well and truly paid off, as evident in this exciting exhibition.

But the major highlight was not just the beautiful designs, but the way Alexsis depicted her process to curious onlookers. While many fashion designers remain secretive about the creative process in fear of plagiarism, Alexsis displays it for the whole world to see. The inspiration, research and teamwork are laid bare as we examine a plethora of vague sketches, experimentations with material and different cuts, providing us with a clear vision of how one design began and how it slowly came to completion. Indeed, such a bold move is risky as it exposes you to scrutiny from public. Regardless, it’s a commended effort on Alexsis’ part, as her confidence and skill as an emerging fashion designer echoes throughout each sketch and design featured in the exhibition.

Conception to Creation was featured as part of the VAMFF Cultural Program. For more information, check out Alexsis’ site here.

Photo Credit: Alexsis C Star and Marchande Pty Ltd.

The company’s concept is reminiscent of other crowd funding platforms such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe, with a fashionable twist added to it – designers showcase their pieces and invite potential consumers to pledge and support. The outcome is simple – if the pledge is successful, the design is sent to you. If not, no charge occurs and the customer feedback is sent back to the designer for future reference.

Stagelabel will host two events as part of the 2015 VAMFF Cultural Program, the Emerging Fashion Industry Talk and the Stagelabel Interactive Runway.

We talked to Stagelabel CEO Rohit Bhargava who gave us a lowdown of what to expect in the events, as well as providing intriguing insight into how the company came to be.

Tell us a bit about Stagelabel – how did it come to fruition?

RB: I was working on another business at the time, and I was reading this start up book called “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries, which essentially talks about validating things that people wanted rather than making assumptions and investing a lot of time in a project that may or may not work.So looking back at some of the previous businesses I’ve done before, the whole process [of Stagelabel] made a lot of sense. Especially in something like fashion, there are a lot of really talented people in the industry. But it’s also one of the most competitive industries out there – it’s very easy to get into and it’s very glamorous but unfortunately a lot of really talented designers struggle to make it even though the industry overall is growing every year. And my team and I really wanted to know why designers struggled, so we invested a lot of time in talking to designers and finding out some of the barriers holding them back. They all came back to us with the same responses so we created Stagelabel which removes a lot of these risks and barriers holding them back.

How long has Stagelabel been around for?

RB: It’s been just over 12 months since we launched the website, about 18 months since we started working on it. We’re working with 85 designers across Australia at the moment, and there are about 12-15 international ones set to launch. It was a bit of a learning process at the start. When we first launched it was only in Sydney, which is where we were originally based, then I moved to Melbourne to join the rest of the team. Then we started expanding across Australia and now we’re starting to get into the international scene a little bit more.

Stagelabel is holding two events for VAMFF Cultural Program – the Emerging Fashion Industry Talk and the Stagelabel Interactive Runway. Tell us about the inspiration behind those events.

RB: [Stagelabel] is all about doing things a little bit differently, and being a start up, anything we devote time for needs to make a lot of sense of us and have creative return either in a business sense or from our user base. Because of the way we operate, we work with two markets: the designer side and the customer side.

The Emerging Fashion Industry Talk is primarily there for people in the industry we work with – not necessarily just fashion designers (even though that is our focus) but also helping stylists, photographers, bloggers learn from people that have been there and can share their expertise on how they got started and why they are so successful now. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of sharing in the industry. People tend to be very secretive. We felt it would be a really good opportunity for everyone in the industry to just learn from each other. For example, David Briskin (CEO of Sass & Bide) will be at the talk, discussing how he started with the company and where it is today. That was the aim behind the whole talk – giving more informative discussion about the fashion industry.

The Stagelabel Interactive Runway is for our designers. It’s very hard for them put on a runway logistically and financially all by themselves at a big festival like VAMFF. With us and the way we operate we are able to collectively bring a lot of designers together and pull some of our resources together to put together a show. We’ve got 8 designers showcasing on the night, so you’ll see a mix of talented designers from across the country and overseas as well.

Describe both events in one word.

RB: Emerging Fashion Industry Talk – Knowledge.

RB: Stagelabel Interactive Runway – Energetic.

How does your runway differ from traditional runways we’ve seen in the media?

RB: We’ve changed the concept of the Interactive Runway this time around – but essentially what we’ve seen on traditional runway shows is that there isn’t much interaction between the designers and the people in the audience. The event is just about designers showcasing their pieces and launching their collections, it’s more about connecting them with potential buyers and receiving feedback. We’re setting up specific stalls – before and after the event – for the designers to meet those in attendance. The audience are able to buy things straightaway – they get early access to all of the garments along with a special discount code and URL on the night to purchase any garments.

So what can we expect from the collections featured in the runway?

RB: We’ve got designers who are launching their autumn/winter collection. We also have designers who are bringing an international flavor to the show, so there are collections that are filled with vibrant colours from Australia and across Asia. We’ve got some fantastic swimwear from a label that has just launched in Sydney. It’s going to be a real mix of styles, from ready to wear, swimwear and evening wear.

What’s the first and most important advice you would give to emerging fashion designers?

RB: The biggest thing is being organised and being able to promote themselves. You might have the best product but if you aren’t able to market yourselves or put it in front of consumers it’s really difficult for anyone to sell your product. So making sure you have a plan or strategy and know who your target audience is and developing specific promotions is crucial.

For more information about the events, click here and here.

A one man cabaret show, operatic baritone Robert Hofmann introduces us to a vast array of colourful characters – Dr Kay Overit, singing teacher and key-note speaker; Helmut Wunderlicher, a singer turned relationship counsellor; Susan Higgins, a devoted Christian musician, and last but not least, Sister Maureen Virgilious, an opera singer who became a nun to escape the bitchiness of the show biz world.

This is a show that stands testament to the notion that quality is always more important than quantity, because while there wasn’t much happening on stage in terms of props or pretty lighting, the content and characters were absolute quality, leaving the audience only wanting more and more.

Hofmann is definitely a force to be reckoned with – his vocals were so on point it was practically perfection, making the entire show enjoyable from beginning to end.  The character transitions were also short and sweet, with Hofmann changing on stage and defining his character through accents, diction and voice.

While every character was certainly memorable, major props should be given to Susan Higgins and Sister Maureen Virgilious, who had the entire audience in tears with laughter. Hofmann’s ability to maintain the actor-audience relationship was very strong indeed, imploring many times for us to join in the singing and even having one of Sister Maureen’s student give a sexy lap dance for a special audience member that was chosen on the night.

Another memorable scene was when Susan encourages the audience to sing along with her but grows jealous when someone outshines her, ripping away the tambourine she gave before she makes a point that we are here to “praise the Lord, not show off”.

Overall, it was a cabaret performance that will appeal to all adults in any age group, especially considering the amount of sexual innuendoes present, along with the fact that the show is set around a teaching conference that is abbreviated to “I CUM ON BREASTS”. With an abbreviation like that, you know you’re in for a wild night.

Set in the lounge room of a small and dingy apartment, it is a poignant play that provides an intimate look into the lives of two young people on the cusp of adulthood, examining the duality between staying grounded and running free.

As the lights dim down and the audience falls to a hush, we are introduced to two protagonists – Jack, an aspiring writer and Felicity, a young woman with a strong sense of nomadism. With Jack’s quiet disposition and Felicity’s outspoken nature, their personalities are at constant odds with each other and often clash. As Jack frequently puts it, they really are “quite the pair”.

But despite their differences, a beautiful friendship forms, and it is from this bond that we explore the many facets of being human. Their story is retold through narration during scene transitions, with the characters depicting what they first thought of each other before portraying the defining moments that embodied their intricate relationship.

Felicity (played by Niamh Hasset) is the standout comic relief, her opinionated and snarky attitude towards Jack providing an essential balance to the play’s otherwise complex themes. Though she may seem rather bitchy at first, her softer side is revealed as her friendship with Jack thickens. While we do not learn much about her, what we do know is that she is a girl who has suffered much heartbreak in the past, which is particularly evident when she talks about how people “always let you down”.

In contrast, Jack (played by Edan Goodall) uses the environment around him as a source of inspiration for his writing. When tragedy strikes his family, his friendship with Felicity is compromised when she learns that he is leaving to support them. Jack’s tragic news is the pivotal point in the entire performance, their heated argument hitting a climax when Felicity merely says “at least he is still alive” rather than comforting Jack who is clearly distressed. Their fierce exchange becomes a major blow to the friendship, much to both of their regrets.

The ending of the play is quite open ended, which just goes to show how honest and true-to-life this play really is. It’s not dramatic by any means, but that is what makes it memorable. It shows how life is not sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes things just happen because they do. To quote the famous Maya Angelou – people will forget what you said and what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Indeed, this play stands testament to that notion.

The physical location of the play did create some distractions as loud footsteps could be heard above, but nonetheless it was easy to dismiss because of the great acting. The minimalistic approach of this play encapsulates why independent theatre is so great, and as a new up-and-coming theatre company, Paper Crown Theatre (and Director Joseph Brown for that matter) certainly marched into the scene with a subtle bang.

Overall, You Walk Away, and Never Once Turn Your Head is a quiet achiever and one that sparks a personal reflection that resonates within you long after you have seen it.

Click here for more information about the show to purchase tickets.

The film stars Garrel’s own son, Louis Garrel, who plays the protagonist of the same name. A struggling actor who wishes to reignite passion and spontaneity in his mundane life, Louis decides to leave his wife, Clothilde, to pursue a relationship with his troublesome mistress, Claudia. Shocked and surprised by her husband’s revelations, Clothilde is left to raise their 8-year-old daughter, Charlotte, on her own. Like Louis, Claudia is an actor, but her career has more downs than ups as she struggles to secure acting roles.

What comes thereafter is a following of their everyday endeavours, and really not much else. Louis finally lands a role in a minor play, while Claudia continues her search for that career defining moment she so longs for. But every attempt fails to come to fruition, and the longevity of unemployment begins to take its toll when she becomes frustrated with how boring her life has become. Eventually, Claudia falls prey to temptation and gives Louis a taste of his own medicine, cheating on him with another man she meets at a bar.

The choppy editing makes the film quite awkward to watch, which in turn makes it rather difficult to understand the complex relationship between Louis and Claudia. The transition from one scene to another is disjointed and, therefore, it becomes a challenge to pinpoint any significant growth in the relationship.

Another filmic technique prevalent is the open-ended structure of the film. The reason why Louis left Clothilde in the first place isn’t properly explained; it’s up to the audience to interpret his reasons through his bubbly behaviour with Claudia as opposed to the monotonous moments he had with Clothilde.

Furthermore, the flat tones of the dialogue also make for uncomfortable viewing, the static in their speech making it seem as if every character is withdrawn from each other. Fragmented conversations filled with awkward silences permeate throughout the film. Again, this is another French New Wave device employed by Garrel – improvised dialogue. This could probably explain the strange pauses throughout, as actors are left to their own accord to build a conversation.

Charlotte was a standout performance in the entire film, and though only a minor character, she provides a decent balance to the film’s overall depressing outlook on infidelity and love. Her mother-daughter bond with Clothilde is very heartfelt, particularly during dinner where we witness Charlotte’s innate childlike curiosity and energetic enthusiasm for life.

The anticlimactic end of the film ties in naturally with the monochrome backdrop, and Philippe Garrel’s decision to name the film ‘Jealousy’ is highlighted through Claudia’s obnoxious adultery and Louis’ infidelity, but the rest of it just feels like random fillers compiled together to make one lengthy feature film. Those who are well versed to French filmmaking might thoroughly enjoy it, but for the rest of us, we are left with a feeling of ‘that’s it?’ The fact that every important character has a name starting with C doesn’t ease the confusion any less.

2/5 stars