One of the most hyped and well-attended shows of the London season is the showcase for graduates of Central St Martins – it’s where big designers go to find their new assistants, and where the ‘next big thing’ is spotted.

So it is in Sydney. Following in the footsteps of alumni Akira Isogawa and Michelle Jank, four graduates from the Fashion Design Studio Sydney Institute will present their debut collections at the fast approaching Rosemount Australian Fashion Week.
Seema Pun, Christian Lines, Soeli Pedrozo and Rachel Sherwood are ‘The Innovators’.

Last year’s Sydney Institute show Four Boys spawned Dion Lee, giving him the opportunity to work with Tina Kalivas. His collection is now stocked in Belinda Seper’s The Corner Shop in Sydney, a coup for a young designer.

This year, the showcase introduces Christian Lines’  “innovative streetwear” collection, which blends Asian influences with a typically Sydney aesthetic in a gutsy colour palette.

“I'm humbled at the chance to be alongside established designers, and also very excited to showcase my style,” says Lines.
Lines hopes to use the event as a launching point for his own label, but is not averse to working with a group of designers, or even to “work for a big brand like Adidas or Nike and design concept athletic sports wear for tennis stars”, he says.
 
Three other young designers will feature in the show. Nepalese- born Seema Pun’s presents a bold collection – architectural referencing contrasted with innate natural beauty, reminiscent of the Antwerp Six in intent and Rachel Sherwood’s offers her debut womenswear line, which is inspired by Newton’s third law of gravity - unlikely fabrics and classic tailoring meet fine detail and colour clash.
 
Most notably, Soeli Pedrozo’s experimentations with shape and proportion, inspired by botany, have resulted in ‘Study in Ink’ – deconstructed masculine tailoring, natural fibres against industrial fabrics culminate in a cohesive, sculptural collection.
Innovative indeed – and a chance for designers unfettered by commercial concerns to spread their wings and show RAFW attendees what they’re made of.

By Natalie Smith