The Australian fashion week (MBFWA), 2015 was set against the breath-taking backdrop of the Sydney Harbour and is famous for bringing together fashion from Australia to an event which was specifically industry only. Its 20th edition was kicked off and over 70 Australian designers, editors, buyers and bloggers swarmed the Harbour City to get a slice of the action.

Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, this fashion week was an eye opener. Not because of a distinctive Australian feel, but for quite the opposite reason. This year’s collections had an unmistakable international look, which reflected how Australian designers were playing it smart by establishing viable international businesses and contacts. With e-commerce an easy reality in many parts of the world, small time designers have had great difficulty beating out the competition. They’ve had to come up with more and more designs which have a trans-seasonal and international feel so that they can appeal to shoppers the world over. Let’s not forget that when it’s summer in Australia, it’s winter in the northern hemisphere. So this means while Australian designers have to showcase an autumn/winter collection, they have to understand that their international audience is actually waiting for a spring/summer preview.

But getting back to the collection, the Australian Week was bombarded with crystals, culottes, flares and brocade, giving an obvious shout out to the very influential 70’s fashion. Tom Ford’s Lurex pants and Céline’s culottes made quite an impact on the runway but none matched the numerous appearances of the super-wide flares. That fashion trend basically set the tone for the show and pretty much defined the base silhouette of MBFWA’s 70’s inspired collections. The maximum number of flared pants was produced by designer Kym Ellery, who can easily be credited for reviving the funnel shaped pants. She made use of mostly exaggerated lines, but a couple of her flares were revealed to be in a muted colour palette, which made them appear chic and wearable.

Most of the clothes displayed on the ramp were way too gaudy to be worn on a normal day but let’s be honest – which runway collections aren’t? The Australian designers did not hold back at all and their over-the-top style, which one would have to think twice before wearing on our streets, had already begun making waves on Australian streets.

The runway sparkled and shimmered, exploding in a gamut of gorgeous colours. Right from citrus hues to pastels to sombre hues – one got to see anything and everything. Blocks of sheer and hot cut-outs were easily the feather on the fashion week’s cap. So for those fashionistas who’re looking to experiment this summer, they need not look beyond the MBFWA. Of course, the commercial viability of the clothes meant that designers had to cut down on originality and creativity but in the end, it wasn’t about pleasing the bloggers and fashion editors. It was about pleasing an international audience and we have to say that their fashion did exactly that.