Click for more photosPerth Fashion Festival 2011 launch
N ick Davies and Annabelle Revie. Photo: Matthew Tompsett
Generational gaps will be the biggest trend on show at this year's Perth Fashion Festival.
This year marks the 13th staging of the event, which will be a glamourous combination of established designers, new faces and front row technology, according to Perth Fashion Festival director Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan.
"The amazing Aurelio Costarella will show his collection on home soil for the first time at our VIP launch on 21 September and the iconic WA fashion label Wheels & Dollbaby has chosen PFF to mark its silver jubilee, " Ms Harvey-Hanrahan told the crowd at the festival's official calendar launch last night.
"We have introduced capsule shows to increase the runway showing opportunities for young designers.
"For the first time in the festival's history we will present seven stand-alone runway designer shows.
"We'll also feature two national designers in our program, which is another first for PFF."
Tourism minister Kim Hames said PFF attendance had nearly tripled from 15,000 in 2007 to almost 44,000 last year.
Due to this increase in popularity, coordinators of this year's festival - which starts on September 21 - have had to seek out a plus-sized venue at the Western Australian Museum.
In an eye-catching contrast of old and new, dinosaur fossils at the 500-seat Hackett Hall will be surrounded by cutting edge designs from the likes of up-and-comers Ange Lang and Shane Newton and fashion stalwarts Ray Costarella and Melanie Greensmith.
The six-day extravaganza will feature 40 events, including shows by Sydney-based designers Yeojin Bae and Magdalena Velevska.
Swimwear, menswear, accessory workshops and an international model search will be highlights of the daytime activities, before the champagne begins to flow after dark for the rock'n'roll imbued, celebrity-riddled night time shows of Wheels & Dollbaby and Zhivago.
The eagerly anticipated debut collection by Zhivago designers Lara Kovacevich and Lydia Tsevetnenko is shaping up to the not-to-be-missed show of the programme.
"We are already being swamped with requests for tickets and it was only announced a few hours ago, so it seems like everyone in Perth will be attending," Ms Kovacevich told WAtoday.com.au.
While there has been much speculation about possible front row celebrity sightings, both designers are continuing to focus on the edgy-meets-glamour collection that will feature sheer silks and buttery smooth leathers.
"It has taken a lot of time and effort to make these fabrics work well and we are looking forward to showing the result," Ms Kovacevich said.
Australind-born supermodel Nicole Trunfio is the face of the 2011 festival, however it is not yet confirmed if she will be travelling from her base in New York for the event.
She took to Twitter yesterday to congratulate PFF organisers and fashion designers and dropped a few hints to explain why she may not be able to attend.
"I just turned down a role with Sasha Baron Cohen and Sir Ben Kingsley (idiot) #newestclaimtofame," Ms Trunfio tweeted.