In fashion, it’s all about location, location, location

Visions of white, ocean blue and verdant green made Aje the most memorable runway show at Australian Fashion Week, before the first model appeared in an ivory gown with a hemline swooping like a wave at Bondi Beach.

Those in the Aje front row were the first to experience the water views and serene surrounds of the visually arresting $18 million Pier Pavilion at Barangaroo, before it was flooded with the throbbing beat of the show soundtrack.

Influencers in the brand’s signature voluminous dresses competed for the best selfie backdrop, with the 85 structural steel columns offering more flattering angles than the oculus roof of the building, clad in terrazzo packed with crushed oyster shells.

The Aje show at Australian Fashion Week is the first official event at the Pier Pavilion in Barangaroo.Credit: Steven Siewert

“We wanted something special that felt Australian and something that would suit the mood of the collection,” says Aje co-founder Adrian Norris, who secured the first official event at the Pier Pavilion. “It shows our commitment to Australian fashion.”

Norris and Aje co-founder Edwina Forest were among the first to support a revived Australian Fashion Week by the Australian Fashion Council, following the departure of former organisers IMG. “We are definitely one of the bigger brands. Not being involved probably would’ve been detrimental to the event, and so we really wanted to show up for the industry,” says Norris.

It was only 13 years ago that Aje were the new kids on the runway at Australian Fashion Week, sending down jangling sequinned skirts, embellished pants and layered cream skirts.

With more than 20 boutiques, they are now a huge drawcard, but that hasn’t stopped them from still making sequinned skirts, embellished pants and layered cream skirts.

Today, these ultra-feminine themes were elevated to match the show’s surroundings, with more polished details such as painterly sequinned tops and billowing skirts with a mature fluidity that still flirts with youth.

“It’s been exciting to go back into our archive and bring out the things that made sense then and still make sense today,” says Forest. “There’s a lot of femininity mixed back with leather and denim, like we always have.

“We showed everyone all the things we do but styled in a way that we love that felt Australian and beautiful. It’s Australian because there’s an ease to it. We took plenty of layers out and thought about where we wanted to see this woman. Whether it was down the street or at a party.”

The party spirit was alive in strapless dresses with pouffe skirts, but the opportunity to test drive them was delayed. An after-party at the venue was off the cards. Apart from it being slightly too early for champagne at 9.50am, the next show was slated to begin at Carriageworks in Eveleigh.

The front row was forced to turn their back on the water views and plan their next selfies against raw brick walls.

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