MBFWA: Alex Perry

Images via Vogue Australia

Alex Perry has long been something of a household name in Australian fashion, known not only for his eponymous brand, but also for being a judge on Australia’s Next Top Model. It is the latter that has caused Perry’s younger fan base to expand exponentially — the same exponential growth that seems to have triggered a shift in the designer’s approach to ready-to-wear.

The shift towards a younger audience was made no clearer than at the Alex Perry S/S ’14 show earlier this week at Australian fashion week, where the highlight on Instagram was the presence of none other than the crown jewel of Victoria’s Secret, Alessandra Ambrosio. The decision to cast a VS Angel was a smart move by the Alex Perry brand, and young girls (and boys) who idolise the supermodel will wish they were there to see her in the flesh well beyond the end of the week.

But the star power of the show didn’t subtract from Perry’s main focus; the clothes themselves were very much a reiteration of last year’s silhouette — short and figure-skimming, with flared skirts throughout — adapted to suit the new collection’s inspiration: gridiron players and cheerleaders. The concept was most pronounced toward the start of the show, where Japanese denim had been laser cut to resemble reptile skin. From afar, the reptilian denim resembled a mix of lace and mesh. Crop tops in the laser-cut denim were styled with flared miniskirts and cemented the opposing forces of the sportspeople and cheerleaders that inspired the collection.

While the concept was interpreted loosely and superficially, Perry’s technique, which has always been the star of his work, was enough to make up for it. The designer’s flexibility as a designer and eagerness to adapt to a younger audience is clear sign that while his usual clientele are women, Alex Perry knows what girls like.