Kym Ellery takes the avante-garde and makes it sexy with her fashion label ELLERY.
What appears paramount in her clothes – which have produced bold capped shoulders, Mobius lapelled tuxedo capes, flares and finely beaded cropped jackets – is the invocation of the form. The shape is strength. The lines that move across it do so to beguile, cuts outs and panels revealing the most seductive peeps of what lays beneath.
‘I have always wanted to be a designer since I can remember,’ Ellery told OUTinPerth. Originally from Perth, Ellery studied fashion here before completing Fashion Illustration and Sketchbook Building at London’s legendary Central St Martins.
From there she returned home to Australia, albeit the east coast, and became a crucial member of the Russh Magazine creative team, helping forge a new look and direction for the publication.
‘It was never a case of wanting to “move into itâ€,’ she said of her leap from Russh to setting up ELLERY in 2007. ‘It was rather a constant resounding noise in my head asking “Are you ready yet? Are ya?â€. Eventually I felt ready to plunge into a whole new world of commitment.’
That commitment has paid off. In the space of four years ELLERY has emerged at the forefront of a crop of brilliant new Australian designers.
When people see her clothes in glossy editorials and out on the high street, they can be mistaken for thinking the label has been around much longer than it has – there is a maturity and classicism beneath all the playful sensuality.
‘I do not know what it is specifically (that leads to people thinking that). However, every day I strive to create: a better garment, a sharper look, and a cleaner finish. I also work extremely hard to make sure my branding also says all of these things so everything is in sync.’
This ‘in sync’ has carried through – literally – to the latest collection The Second Marriage, which was presented across two levels of Sydney’s White Rabbit Gallery during Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. Here, fashion, music, art, poetry and Jennifer Hawkins all came together for a show that the models paired together as lovers, or twins, some looks even translated on to male models.
‘It is a collection that speaks about the beauty of things in twos. Couplings. It combines creamy leathers and an engineered fleshy pink bow design print. There is also a hint of modern corsetry and lots of long, lean lengths.’
‘I also wanted to experiment with the idea of androgynous dressing. Boys as girls and girls as boys.’
The highlights? Long lean gowns. Translucent dinner shirts with white tuxedo bids. Masculine bombers in soft wool. An architectural elegance. Gold spiked belts. Essentially, the collection is about poise: these are clothes for women who are fearless and strong but also don’t mind the pursuit of seduction… as long as you can keep up.
So what is the quintessential x-factor to ELLERY that sets apart as being so unique?
‘I think perhaps it is because I try to work three dimensionally in my work.,’ Ellery concluded. ‘My heart also lies in the art so when I design I am obsessed by ‘design development’ as a process; from start to finish’
ELLERY is available from Billie and Rose in Mt Lawley, Kings St and Fremantl, Adam Heath in Claremont and online boutiques Maximillia (www.maximillia.com), The New Guard (thenewguard.com.au) and My Catwalk (www.mycatwalk.com).
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
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