Pure Opulence: Australians Wow at Haute Couture Fashion Week

It’s hard not to get swept up in the ethereal world of Haute Couture Fashion Week. The old-world fantasy and artisanal craftmanship propels designers near and far into the international spotlight. And our Australian designers are demanding attention.

Of all the fashion weeks in the world, Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week is the pinnacle, period. And for the first time recently, Aleem Yusuf and Steven Khalil joined the most prestigious in the design world.

With a focus on luxury and craftsmanship, the local designers showcased with the crème de la crème of the fashion world, making it a huge honour to be invited along. The strong Australian presence at Paris fashion week is nothing new. We chatted to Alin Le’kal before his first-ever Paris Fashion Week where he had been tirelessly working on 30 dresses.

We asked what his career highlight was so far. “Getting invited to Paris Fashion Week.” He replied. “It’s the dream for every designer. It caught me by surprise and we’re just looking forward to it now and are spending endless hours and endless nights and it’s coming together very slowly.”

ALIN LE’KAL

An exercise in the most lavish and luxury designs, Aleem Yusuf was in his happy place. Drawing inspiration from his homeland, Pakistan, Aleem wowed with a colour palate of turmeric yellow and vibrant red, flexing his technical skills with handstitched tulle, beading, boning and extraordinary draping.

ALEEM YUSUF

Steven Khalil debuted his new collection entitled ‘Dame en Fleur’ inspired by the fragility of flowers and the strength of their beauty. The final piece that graced the runway of this collection took three couturiers, ten months and thousands of beads to make. A true testament to Khalil’s skills and the journey that is couture.