Cheeky Sylvester mans up her pastels

ROBERT KITCHIN/The Dominion Post

SEALED WITH A KISS: Kate Sylvester's spring/summer show, entitled This Charming Mam, included a bride and tomboy groom.

Relevant offers

Fashion

I Love Ugly clothing goes online Gisele sticks up for her man Androgynous model hits runway Karen Walker eyewear hits stores Friday fashion fix: February 10 WORLDman unveils winter looks Preview: Nineteen//46 knitwear Jen tired of 'safe' red carpet style Footwear: the best contraceptive Nearly nude model in stitches

Kate Sylvester sealed her show at Australian Fashion Week with a kiss. Well, the models did.

The bride wore a cotton lace dress and manly loafers. Her tomboy groom – in a trouser suit with rolled up cuffs, corsage and high heels – gave her an affectionate peck.

Cheeky, whimsical and fresh summed up Sylvester's spring/summer collection that was a clever play on masculine and feminine. Entitled This Charming Man, the collection was inspired by tomboys and poets.

It was another strong Australian Fashion Week showing for Sylvester, who has been showing on and off at the event for the past 12 years, and opened her first Sydney flagship store in December.

The presentation was set against a romantic backdrop of fluffy white clouds on a blue sky. High-waisted pencil skirts in leather, floral prints on grey marle, matching shorts and blazers were juxtaposed with floaty frocks. The palette was mostly pastel – the theme for next summer – nude, blush, mushroom, grey and cream.

The show was manned up with tailored blazers, detachable collars and old-fashioned garters fastened onto lacy socks.

MTV presenter Ruby Rose attended, and fashion press included Tim Blanks of Style.com, who went backstage to congratulate Sylvester, and Jackie Frank, editor of Australian Marie Claire, who made a beeline for her after the show.

SYDNEY DIARY

What's hot: Aussie shoe brand Xiomara has gone sexy with its shoe presentation. Yesterday model Hannah Ubl modelled the shoes wearing a skimpy swimsuit in a bath tub. Today she'll be lounging in a giant champagne glass and on Friday posing in a giant frame as a "living lookbook".

What's not: Theatrical fashion stunts at fashion shows. They're always naff but this was just embarrassing. A masked model dressed like the grim reaper dragged a prop of three tombstones down the runway for Humility Couture. The tombstones read "RIP Alexander McQueen", "RIP Yves Saint Laurent" and "RIP Ksubi". Well, Ksubi are back from the financial dead and showing this Friday. Obviously no-one told them.

Quote of the day: Frockwriter blogger Patty Huntington when a fan complimented her style, saying: "You are the Anna Wintour of blogging." "Oh, don't say that! I'd rather be Carine Roitfeld [editor of French Vogue]."

Whisper: Models have been banned this year from the official fashion week Rosemount Wine Bar. Last year they partied too hard and drank the bar dry.

Fashion emergency: Tights are normally worn by superheroes but the male models at the A Concept show looked like they needed rescuing when they walked out in metallic boxer shorts worn over lace sparkly tights and sci-fi patent leather jackets. It was Robin Hood meets Darth Vader at a boxing match in the future in another galaxy.

Celebrity front row: Ruby Rose (Kate Sylvester, Friedrich Gray and Ellery), Jennifer Hawkins (Ellery and Nicola Finetti), Lara Bingle (Alex Perry), Charlotte Dawson (Alex Perry, Bianca Spender and Jayson Brunsdon), and Barry Humphries (Bianca Spender).

Best goody bag: It was bags at the men's and women's ready-to-wear group show. Booty included a a striped bow tie, Vitamin Shaving Cream, chewing gum and Davinci Peel-Off Mask for Men from Premonition, Four Seasons Naked condoms, Tom certified organic tampons, Original Sole Heel protectors, Karen Hitchcock's novel Little White Strips and Escape to Paradise clutch from Unnaked.

On the catwalk today: Dion Lee, Kirrily Johnston, Gary Bigeni, Dhini, Michael Lo Sordo, Fernando Frisoni, Ruby Smallbone and Gail Sorronda.

Who's showing tomorrow: Annah Stretton, Arnsdorf, Miss Unkon, White Sands swimwear, Hussy, and Ksubi.

- © Fairfax NZ News