West End Haute at Fashion Paramount PFF09

Temporary fashion show venue, Fashion Paramount, isn’t the most obvious place for fashion shows. It wasn’t hard to find it on the first day of the festival but, from outside, it’s not that obvious. It’s not like it has a huge sign. Nestled amongst multi-story carparks, although the old building has hard and rough industrial feel, it is nicely softened with tungsten lights hanging from the sky high ceiling which had effects of fairy lights. The floor is uneven at backstage. cables and lighting equipments are “placed carefully” but all over the place. It’s all part of fun I suppose (until somebody falls over then it becomes funny). Although I haven’t seen anyone tripped over at the back (amazing considering how uneven it is and I nearly fell a few times) the parades were nothing short of excitement. There were a couple of boobs popping out, a few girls nearly fell over in their uber high heels and most fun part was a model kicking off heels midway on the catwalk avoiding falling down. She was smiling all he way through so for some people it might have well looked intentional – maybe not- but she handled it beautifully. It was warmly received by the audience with more than a cheer anyway.

West End Haute is basically as what it’s called. The west end of the Perth city has a number of high fashion stores specially on King Street. What the show featured was more of locally run businesses and labels although we now have Gucci, Burberry, Emporio Armani and Tiffany etc. For example, Dilettante is one of few boutiques selling well known International labels such as Vivienne Westwood along with Australian labels.

It would have been fab if I don’t need to sleep to sort through photos I’ve taken so that I get to report back to you on time – on the night perhaps? So it happens though it takes hours to download and sort through pictures and while I’m doing that the festival goes on so off I go out again. I’m literally sleep deprived but looking at these images I cannot wait to visit the actual boutiques sometime soon.

Zekka and Dilettante showed me how to dress – my style truely. Some of you probably will dig Wheels & Dollbaby and Tarvydas more. This is another one of those moments when I feel quite proud to be living here. It’s a small city but we have lots to offer. Praise the fashion festival!

You can’t see that well in the photos but Dilettante adorned models with jewelled headbands which were made with stockings. Yes, ingenious. I’ll show you those photos tomorrow hopefully. I do have lots of backstage fun pictures to show you.

I know some people might have come here to see photos of Affair to Remember and a couple of people left me a comment requesting images. I do understand and if it wasn’t for the festival the images have gone live on the night. Sorry folks. You just need to wait. Erica and Natasha did mention that they will try to avoid the festival for next year’s High Tea… that is a good idea. They get my vote for that one. Now, I’m off to have to sleep.

PS – one boutique I’m not showing here is Kailis. The lighting was so bad – too dramatic for fashion shows – that none of photos could really show their jewellery. Stupid I think. I don’t know how many times I need to complain in my blog… to have some bog standard good lighting for fashion shows. Can’t be that hard since Fashion Central (free show venue) seemed to have managed it…

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