One of the most memorable outfits from the street style outside Carriageworks at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia was a black and orange longline dress with panels of fur down the front. It was worn by Dasha Gold of The Trend Spotter blog, and it was the key piece from designer Kaylene Milner’s winning collection at TAFE’s graduate show, The Innovators, exactly two years ago.
Milner was then presented with a cheque for $15,000 and the opportunity to intern with Diane von Furstenberg. She has flown relatively under the radar since then, (Getty, for one, hasn’t heard of her, crediting the above outfit to “Caitlin Miller”) but 2014 looks like her year.
The former musicology student’s Autumn 2014 collection further evidenced her obsession with natural fabrics and couture-quality craftsmanship (through a macabre lens of mysterious cults and secret brotherhoods). Now she’s created her first non-winter collection for Spring 2015, proving she can also cater to a warmer climate.
The new collection combines Milner’s signature details with effortless silhouettes. Embellishments, embroidery and patterned silks crop up on asymmetrical tees, crisp white shirtdresses, a spaghetti strap slip and relaxed culottes in khaki green. Summer gives you less leeway if you’re trying to create looks never seen before, and Milner has nailed it.
Like the fur panel dress, we see these pieces having a very long shelf life.
