Lights, Camera, Walk: Behind the Glamour
Flashing lights from DSLRs, makeup accompanied by hours of styling and accumulated miles on stilettoes all for one moment down the runway. As the audience, we often see all this happen on social media, especially watching your favourite influencer jumping from one Fashion week in Paris to another in New York. But did you know you can purchase tickets to attend fashion week? Fresher was lucky enough to purchase tickets to attend the recent Adelaide Fashion Week, where we could watch the vibrant world of fashion come alive before our eyes.
Every stitch, swatch and sketch tells a different story. Designers envision their clothing as more than just outfits; they are art, and the designer is the artist. The focus on the slow, immersive experience honours the essence of craftsmanship and creativity over the fast-paced demands of mainstream fashion.
Kira Bayliss is a rising fashion icon in Adelaide. Her recent work, “Haunting Blooms,” left a huge impact on the hearts of many who attended her event. Her philosophy inspires her to create artful lines of clothing where each item feels like a window into another world.
Kira’s journey began in the culinary world, driven by the same creative impulse and the pursuit of beauty:
“When you’re a chef, you get to play with food and make it pretty, and that feels a lot like art to me”
Her first line featured a ready-to-wear collection, including hoodies adorned with unique artwork, but she quickly realised that the hands-on work allowed her to immerse herself in the pieces. Fashion is often seen as glamorous and bold, but for emerging designers, it is a long journey to be seen. Behind every collection is persistence, creativity, and collaboration with other artists.
Haunting Blooms tells the tragic story of a lonely ballerina ghost who lost her love and wandered the forests. By weaving elements of performance art into the fashion show, audiences were drawn into the storyline that Kira created for her collection.
Kira wanted to “Showcase it more like an art exhibition because I feel like my clothing is more art than clothing.” by utilising performances by a ballerina from Adelaide Ballet Academy and “Having these props, almost like little windows for them to be displayed in front of.” made the vision come alive.
Navigating this competitive world of fashion can be immensely terrifying as an independent designer, especially when there are multitudes of established brands with vast resources.
“Trying to get my name out there is hard, especially because I’m a small fish in a big pond.”
While social media offers visibility, the sheer volume of fashion content online makes it challenging for small designers to stand out. Recognising this challenge, Kira prioritises on showcasing her work to build a brand identity before focusing on sales. As such, allowing her to freely experiment with designs and focus on creativity and art rather than on keeping up with trends and pushing products.
Creating Fashion sustainably and ethically is also a growing concern in the fashion industry, yet it presents a different set of challenges. Independent designers like Kira will need to balance maintaining high ethical standards and the price to produce such pieces. Other than sourcing locally and working with local artisans, Kira has opted to work with natural fibres and upcycled materials. This way, she is able to contribute to the movement towards a more sustainable fashion industry.
The next step in this fashion girlie’s career is Melbourne Fashion Week, and then New York! Of course, it does come with a price, and we mean literally. Applying to be involved in fashion weeks and the runways costs a significant amount of money, not to mention travel and other miscellaneous expenses.
But while we wait for next year’s show, Kira is working on her fourth collection and staying true to the quality of her work and her values. Each new collection and collaboration is an opportunity to explore fresh new concepts and display her talents and love of art to the world.
Thanks to Kira and her incredible pieces, we were able to sneak a peek into the behind-the-scenes of the fashion industry. At least until next year, when we come back with a two-parter to this series.
See Issue 3: Perspectives