PREVIEW

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Bree Moore works full-time at Insight Publishing. With panache and an eye for style, she combines writing with her love of all things fashion, cooking and travel.

Bold & Bright

Horizons

Iris statuesque dress $561

Karla Spetic’s

Spring Summer

11/12 Collection:

Porcelain

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Karla Spetic’s exquisite designs reveal subtle nuances and complex design techniques, those of which have caught the attention of the fashion industry. Designing for the modern woman, Karla creates poetic and timeless designs that manage to transcend seasonal trends. She manages to bring an aesthetic vision and innate sense of beauty to her collections with pieces that are truly uncomplicated, unfussy and simple - a reflection of her own approach to life.

The Sydney-based designer was born in Croatia and immigrated to Australia in 1993. Karla graduated in 2008 from the East Sydney Fashion Design Studio, the fashion school that has churned out many a successful designer, as boasted by the school to include: Lisa Ho, Nicky Zimmermann, Akira Isogawa and Alex Perry. Karla notes her pursuit of fashion as always being creative from an early age, “It seemed natural for me to end up working in a creative field; I love the freedom and seeing your visions come to life.”

Just two years after graduating, Karla launched her namesake label at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, an original collection filled with movement, striking colour and original textile printing. When asked how difficult it was to start her own label, Karla muses, “It wasn’t difficult because I started my label without any expectations. I just love what I do.” She says of the experience of showing at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week for the first time, “It was daunting because I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t plan much, I just went with the flow. Once I was backstage with my models just before the show began, I realised that this was what I really wanted to do.”

And so she has done, quite successfully, with pieces that are worn all over the world by a customer Karla describes as: “Not one person in particular; she is a unique and interesting woman with an unrivalled imagination and one-of-a-kind personality.” Karla Spetic has some 24 stockists in Australia and has gone global with stockists in New York, Dubai, Auckland, Singapore and Jakarta. With pieces that are considered pretty and playful, modern and minimalist, as well as classic and covetable, it is no wonder she was a finalist in the Best New/Up and Coming Designer category in the Prix de Marie Claire Awards for 2009 - the most respected fashion awards in Australia. Despite these ongoing successes, she doesn’t let anything go to her head, genuinely humbled, she says, “It was nice to know that others appreciate the work but I don’t focus on the awards as such, I just want to move forward and grow my label.” Evidently, the energetic and driven part of Karla’s personality shines through.

The latest collection to be released for Spring Summer 2011/12, Porcelain presents opposing sentiments that have combined into one, personifying an optimistic colour and future. Karla describes the collection as polished, clean and wearable, which embodies interesting colour

and print. She considers these, as well as her use of clean lines, to be the point of difference for her label. “I think it is important to always stay true to your own aesthetic. I like clean lines, offbeat ideas and simplicity, but there are always some elements of complexity, whether it be colour, print, cut,

silhouette or detail,” she says.

Certainly evolving from previous collections, Karla has introduced longer, leaner and more grownup shapes that we are not used to from the designer, having previously worked with very short and youthful hemlines. Reflecting on going in that direction, Karla believes it was not a conscious decision to do so, rather an acknowledgment as part of growing up. “I think it is important to evolve and as a part of this, new things constantly inspire you,” she shares.

Karla has further evolved into accessories, collaborating with Venice Rish of Venice jewellery - resulting in Venice x Karla Spetic. This line of jewellery features

necklaces, rings and bracelet cuffs in oxidised and sterling silver combined with

unusual mediums including free form amber and dichroic glass. Mini sculptures have also

been created by Venice, reflecting the colours and mood of Porcelain.

The collection directly draws creativity from interior design, depicting references

on objects such as Danish furniture, vases, ornaments, royal Dux

and still life articles. It is these influences on

her collection’s designs that are a testament to the enduring power of home; home really

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Doulton cropped double breasted blazer $649, Clotide basic shirt $284, Twiggy high-waist cigarette trousers $445

Monarch shirt jumpsuit $583

Eames frilled jumpsuit $583

Venice x Karla Spetic

Infinity ring in translucent $520

Venice x Karla Spetic Linear ring in green $520

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Porcelain presents opposing sentiments that

have combined into one, personifying an

optimistic colour and future.

Louis double breasted blazer $665, Clotide basic shirt $284, Mary androgynous trousers $445

Loose silk t-shirt $242, Twiggy

high-waist cigarette

trousers $445

Lotus cropped tank $372, Twiggy high-waist cigarette trousers $445

Crescent bare shoulder

cardigan $275, Charles pencil

skirt $407

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PREVIEW

is where the heart is. Contemplating the inspirations behind Porcelain, “I think my collections always reflect my current state of being,” she muses. “My current mindset has a fascination with interior design. I moved house earlier this year and found myself looking at the Eames era, Fler furniture, art glass, porcelain figurines, and clean, modern and offbeat shapes.”

Porcelain offers an upbeat, fresh serving of the Karla Spetic signature style: masculine meets feminine aesthetics. The understated modern shapes are

combined with superb tailoring and signature suiting with a new interpretation of a design classic - a breath of fresh air. This collection features androgynous suits with tailored panels and

new colours that perfectly marry demure and masculine. Tailored pants from the collection can be dressed up or down, no matter the occasion. For updated chic, pair with plain black or white shirts, and for stunning affects

that are bound to catch the eye of all, pair bright and bold suits with an equally bright and bold collared-shirt. Take these looks to the next level with animal-print accessories.

Stunning print detailing is not uncommon to a Karla Spetic design. Previously, Karla’s Spring Summer 2010/11 collection presented an infallibly individual print of the

Australian outback. This particular collection’s print comes from Portuguese tiles, as Karla says, “I found some old tiles with an interesting design that I thought were beautiful and I wanted to enlarge them to show off”. She reveals her favourite piece from the collection to be the Charles skirt in this print, as it carries her point of difference with a directional, modern print, while still intergrating simplicity and an easy to wear factor.

Her intrinsic knowledge and talent are evident in the fabrics and elements that are incorporated into the collection, including silks and natural fibres, all of which work best for the designs. “Predominantly I used silk faille because I love the texture and weight; it works well and moulds in tailoring,” Karla notes. Shifting from her signature pastel hues, the collection moves to a bolder and brighter horizon of: red orange, lilac, apple green, lime yellow, chocolate brown and ink blue; these colours are reflected in extremely fun frocks and jumpsuits. On embracing high voltage, bold colours this season, Karla says, “I love colour. I wanted to portray optimism in this collection and I was really drawn to bright bold colours.”

Karla’s Spring Summer 2011/12 showing at Rosemount Australia Fashion Week was a bright injection of colour that breathed boldness throughout the room in which the show was taking place. Eye-catching orange lips and sleek ponytails complemented the refreshing bursts of colours, for classic and polished looks that reflect the key theme of this collection - youthful and elegant. A particular design, the apple green suit layered over lime shirting, became the most mentioned look of Fashion Week.

Other covetable pieces were immediately evident to the ever-faithful fashionista with perfectly tapered trousers - a key trend this season; feather light silk blouses - garments that are transitional for season after season; and perfectly cut blazers - true of the ladylike trend. “I believe it went very well and my customers embraced the new collection,” Karla says of the showing. She

really finds enjoyment and satisfaction in showcasing at Rosemount Australia Fashion Week because, “It is so important to support our industry in order to keep the momentum.”

Bright colours are on trend this season and although everyone seems to be doing them for Spring Summer 2011/12, none are truly quite like Karla Spetic. Porcelain offers up an always-glamorous alternative to traditional corporate attire with ladylike lengthier skirts; covetable ready to wear essential pieces; and suits and tailored pants allow you to wear the pants with style.

[The collection] offers an upbeat, fresh serving of

the Karla Spetic signature style: masculine meets

feminine aesthetics.

Uriel androgynous shirt $284, De Lis two-tone pencil skirt $407

Venice x Karla Spetic Spherical

ring in blue $540

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Karla Spetic

02 9389 5663

www.karlaspetic.com

www.venicejewellery.com.au