Romance Was Born’s electric new vision

High-voltage prints, room-sweeping volume and inspiration from Zaacharia Fielding mark the label’s return to Australian Fashion Week.

Romance Was Born designers Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett dress model Zuqi in a Georgette frill gown at their studio in Pyrmont, Sydney. Picture: Britta Campion / The Australian

Romance Was Born designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales aren’t sure if they should celebrate their 20th anniversary next year. Technically, says Plunkett, they started their brand 20 years ago but didn’t show at fashion week until a few years later.

Despite quibbles around the origin story, both agree that after all this time they still love putting on a fashion week show, including the chaos of pulling one together.

“I love it when we do the fittings and get the right outfit on the right model, and just the character kind of comes to life. That’s really cool. I love that kind of like Cinderella moment, almost,” says Plunkett.

This year the exuberant designers, who bring high-voltage prints, room-sweeping volume, artisanal elements and nostalgic nods to each collection have collaborated with First Nations musician and visual artist Zaachariaha Fielding. Fielding, the son of contemporary artist Robert Fielding, is fresh from performing with his duo, Electric Fields, in the Eurovision song competition in Sweden.

For Fielding, who hasn’t worked in fashion, working with Romance Was Born was a joy.

Performing in Eurovision, he says, was “electrifying .”

“We’re still buzzing from the three minutes on stage. It was incredible....we are so proud of what we’ve done and forever grateful to share our song, performance, and culture with people from around the world. We feel so lucky and this whole experience is going to be a memory that will be embedded with us for the rest of our lives.”

Zaacharia Fielding. Picture: Cara O'Dowd, The APY Art Centre Collective.

“My artworks centre on song and movement, they are three-dimensional, so to see it applied to fashion feels very special but also fitting. This is my first fashion collection and it’s been exciting to see how seamlessly my artworks can be translated on garments. My paintings are vibrant and joyful, they are about colour, texture and feeling … garments can be seen, felt and experienced. I hope people can feel this joy, celebration and positive energy wearing these pieces,” he says.

Plunkett and Sales say the feeling was mutual, if not a little cosmic. “I think (Fielding) has got an energy to his work and I feel like that’s how we share a similar energy,” says Plunkett.

The trio have shared passions too. This year’s collection references classic ’80s sci-fi movies both Sales and Plunkett have watched on repeat since they were children.

“A lot of what Zaachariaha works about references his childhood or childhood memories. And a lot of what Anna and I have done in our career is always referenced nostalgic things to do with the past. And we’ve even revisited some of those themes, this collection. (Fielding) has also got a very expressive spirit, I think, and I think that’s the way we are as well with what we do. It’s very expressive and it’s got a story behind it and there’s a reason for it being,” Sales says.

Both say the collaboration has reminded them of what they love about fashion. “I just think it’s just so refreshing to work with people that are doing things that they just are so passionate about. I guess at the end of the day it’s hard going in the industry. You have to love what you do,” says Plunkett.

Beyond the show, both say they get a kick out seeing their clothes in galleries such as the National Gallery of Victoria, and they relish, too, how their clients tend to have an emotional connection to the clothes they buy from the brand.

“A lot of people say they can remember the first time they wore this certain thing,” says Sales.

As for the collection to be shown on Wednesday night?

Plunkett says to expect something pretty eclectic. “The prints are kind of softer. We’ve got our soft flowing kind of things that (are) more romantic and dreamy, and we’ve got taffeta things which are more dramatic and bold and loud, and big silhouettes that we’ve been doing for a while now.”

“We’re kind of experimenting with these larger silhouettes, quilting and these cocoon kind of shapes, and the idea of feeling secure … comfortable and protected … it kind of relates back to the themes of … our favourite childhood movies. In The Never Ending Story, the kid’s in the attic and he’s reading the book and he gets comfortable with the blanket and … just the idea of feeling secure and safe and ... thinking about being a kid and watching movies and being wrapped up and watching the TV. I just love that kind of vibe personally. But again, we’ve done lots of beading … with our artisans in India and … incredible reinterpreting (of) Zaachariaha’s work,” adds Sales.

Romance Was Born shows at Australian Fashion Week, presented by Pandora on Wednesday evening for an industry and consumer show.