Alannah Hill Brings Sexy Back with La Bombe Collection at MBFFS

Alannah Hill has dropped the bows and frills to bring sexy back with their new SS14 collection.

Last year, Miss Alannah Hill famously left the label that she founded in 1996 with the design realm handed over to creative director Dimitria Papafotiou – this being Dimitria’s debut.

Entitled, La Bombe, the label unveiled their new collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival (MBFF) in Sydney and we sent Style With Cindy stylist, Lacey along for the ride as she reports on the runway:

 

Sydney brought the sun for MBFF and an array of spring-inspired looks both on the runway and in the crowd.

Pre-runway, I spent an afternoon soaking in Vitamin D at Darling Harbour before heading off to Sydney Town Hall for the fashion festival.

Mercedes Benz have been sponsoring fashion events across Australia for over a decade so it’s not unusual to find cars on display in between clothing as was this sparkling Mercedes Benz upon entry.

After a friendly introduction with security and awaiting my Alannah Hill host, I thought I’d best spend my time enjoying the fashion arrivals aka style watching.

 

The runway really does begin outside with a dress code that encourages you to make it your own. I observed a host of creative looks, the classics and women sporting the latest trends or their fashion favourites. 

A welcome interruption from the Alannah Hill team then invited me backstage as the runway was close to commencing.

 

Just last month I worked backstage at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week and experienced first hand the chaos and excitement backstage – MBFF was exactly the same!

I squeezed through endless clothing racks, staff rushing to pull looks together and beauty experts applying finishing touches to capture a couple of backstage photos along with a quick chat and good luck wishes to Dimitria.

 

With anticipation I secured my front row seat and witnessed the Alannah Hill brand transformation that the fashion industry has been waiting for.

 

Remaining feminine and with strong silhouettes, there was a modern take on the designs with on-trend fabrics, prints and an edgier look. 

 

Sheer fabrics peeked through tops and skirts, dark sequined dresses were teamed with faux boleros and midi skirts were complemented with cardigans worn as tops.

There was plenty of textured lace and classic dress shapes while botanical prints and digital patterns decorated the collection beautifully.

 

 

Big hats and maxi dresses suggested what’s to come for Spring Racing and the collection includes a vast mix of skirts and separates that encourage you to create your own Alannah Hill creations.

 

 

Enjoying a well-deserved applause, Dimitria closed the show and it was off to the VIP lounge with featured a running chocolate Bailey fountain, photo booths, more cars and a DJ booth.

 

Then it was champagne and a chat with the designer herself.

Dimitria told me that following ten years of the brand feeling very similar, she’s looking to evolve the brand but add more “spice”.

In fact, she told SMH on the weekend that “We want to honour the original aesthetic of the brand but what I’ve tried to do is bring some youth, energy and a bit of sexiness back to the range to move it forward,” she said.

“The key is making sure we have a selection of diverse looks for a diverse range of customers and bring back that classic elegance while still being trendy,” she added.

So then it was off home from my whirlwind trip.

Thanks for virtually joining me on this fashion adventure and I would love to hear your thoughts on the new collection.

Lacey 🙂