Adelaide was treated to a spectacular event on Wednesday night as Paul Vasileff brought us all the glamour of Milan Fashion Week through his 2012 Autumn Winter Couture Collection Fashion Parade.
The Adelaide Fashion Festival, held from the 11 – 22 October, has been a preview of some of the best fashions in South Australia but nothing has been quite as highly anticipated as the Paolo Sebastian show.
The sold out show was everything the 900 strong audience hoped it would be and Paul certainly lived up to some high expectations.
One of Adelaide’s brightest stars, Paul has been on the fashion radar since his first fashion show, which he put on while still in high school.
At only 21 years old, Paul says last night was an amazing experience but his first fashion show still remains the highlight of his career.
“I would say last night is def up there!” says Paul.
“Not much can top that but still to this day I have to say my very first show with all my best friends modelling… and Milano of course!”
Paul has just returned to Adelaide from studying at the prestigious Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Milan where he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Giorgio Armani.
A lot of designers tend to leave Adelaide to study but often end up returning to forge a career here.
“I think you need to so that you can broaden your understanding of fashion on a global scale…I think that’s why this collection has such an impact.”
It’s easy to see why people compare Paul to a Valentino or Christian Dior, his gowns have the same timeless elegance about them.
You can see them being worn by the old Hollywood legends like a Grace Kelly but are still modern enough to be walking down a red carpet today.
His collection was inspired by the ballets of Tchaikovsky and this was evident throughout the show, one gown being particularly reminiscent of the hit movie ‘Black Swan’.
“It was actually an idea that has been growing in my head since Milan.”
“I heard the music and was just inspired but even from a young age I’ve loved Tchaikovsky.”
The first gowns in the show were were the sort of dresses little girls dream about wearing, every single one of the models looked like a fairytale princess.
Paul used a soft colour pallet of dusty rose and silver blues and lots of sparkle!
As the show moved on, the tone of the parade changed from the 'white swan' to the 'black swan'.
The gowns became a bit more sexy as Paul introduced more black and lace and even a few sheer numbers, a look which is proving to be very 'in' this season.
The show took Paul 10 months to put together and when we spoke at the opening of AFF last week he was still putting finishing touches on gowns.
“It's been a really lengthy process, there is so much work put into not only each of the garmenst but in the set and lighting design, music, models!”
Paul only has praise for the Adelaide Fashion Festival which has extended its reach to two weeks this year.
“We as designers have been waiting for so long to have this platform to showcase our work.”
“It keeps getting bigger and better and I’m so excited to be a part of it!”
So what’s next for Paul Vasileff and Paolo Sebastian?
“Who knows I take each day as it comes but I really want to focus on building Paolo Sebastian as a brand.”
To find out more about Paolo Sebastian visit the website http://www.paolosebastian.com/
For more info about the Adelaide Fashion Festival visit http://www.adelaidefashionfestival.com.au
Find the full gallery of images here.
Photos by Steven Jones, Etch Studios.
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