There’s nothing quite like retail therapy when you’re in need of a lift, and if that’s the case for you, then there’s no better place to get your fix than among the racks of designer labels at Chatswood Chase. Personal Stylist Shannon Johnson takes a look at the new threads in stores from her front-row seat at the Chatswood Chase VIP Spring/Summer Fashion Show, Spring Splendour. 

Earlier this month I attended the VIP Spring/Summer 2016 Fashion Show at Chatswood Chase.

It was an amazing evening and I felt privileged to meet Zoe Bradley. If you haven’t heard of Zoe, she is an incredibly talented paper artist who travels the world making amazing creations with her team. She started her career by studying fashion design in the UK and won an apprentice with Alexander McQueen which set her on her way. She has worked on the window displays of lots of international fashion houses including Liberty. Now she basically travels the world designing amazing paper creations. Check out her work here.

Zoe Bradley was commissioned exclusively by Chatswood Chase Sydney to create The Red Rose Dress (pictured). The Red Rose Dress consists of nearly 400 hand-sculpted paper roses, combined to create a stunning bespoke couture gown. If you have visited Chatswood Chase this month, you may have seen the Red Rose Dress being created by Zoe and her team by hand. The whole process took three days and the completed gown is truly an exquisite piece of art.

The Red Rose Dress was the centrepiece at the Spring/Summer 2016 fashion show, hosted by Channel Seven star (and host of Dancing with the Stars) Edwina Bartholomew.

This season’s latest collections from both Australian and international designers and retailers were unveiled, and it was great to see all the familiar fashion labels from Chatswood Chase come together and celebrate the latest in design trends.

Australian brand Alannah Hill, known for its feminine, girlish style and flamboyant  designs featuring lace, ribbon and elaborate buttons and embroidery, had the honour of opening the show on the catwalk and their collection offered some great inspiration for the race season. The short, floral dress designs were flirty and provided a pop of colour with the blossoms in the dress designs matched to ruby-red high heels and colourful, flower-designed fascinators.

Camilla showed some gorgeous dresses and playsuits which would be perfect for summer holidays, created in designer Camilla Franks’ trademark bold prints featuring jewel shades of sapphire, emerald and metal tones of bronze and gold. the generous cuts and flowing lines of some of the fuller pieces gave the look an unmistakeable summery vibe, with the lightweight materials and some exposed skin making them the perfect choice for the heat that’s sure to come this summer.

David Jones has described the Spring Summer 16 seasonal trends as earthy tones, monochrome, boudoir and metallics, and the designers didn’t disappoint. David Jones  designers showed off their skills with a palette of simple shades of white, using dramatic cuts such as plunging necklines and off-the-shoulder designs to add flair. Elsewhere white and black were contrasted to dramatic effect, with block colours and perfectly structured outfits showing how effective it can be to create the right silhouette with your outfit.

Some of the designers on show:

• Leona Edmiston
• Maje
• Oxford
• Edward Meller
• Sandro
• Ginger & Smart
• Maning Cartel
• Max & Co
• Gerry Webber
• Country Road
• Basler
• Sportscraft
• Sambag
• Herringbone
• Marcs
• David Lawrence
• Carla Zampatti
• Rhodes & Beckett

My top three must-haves this season:

• The perfect race day dress from Ginger & Smart
• A fascinator from Morgan & Taylor
• An off-the-shoulder style piece, either a dress or top