Romance Was Born might have taken a break from the traditional runway schedule this Australian Fashion Week, but the Sydney-based brand, which turned 20 last year, isn’t stepping back. In lieu of its usually fantastical show, designers Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett took a trip to Melbourne Design Week to partner with Cultivated—Cult Furniture’s in-house sustainable furniture refurbishing program—to stage an exhibition filled with recycled pieces given new life in their signature extravagantly embellished style. “It was an exciting project,” says Sales one sunny Australian morning over Zoom. “It’s something we’ve always wanted to do—we did a really amazing show last year for our 20th anniversary, and decided to focus on [Design Week] instead.” But dedicated Romantics, fear not, seasonal collections aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
This season’s offering took full advantage of the design duo’s multidisciplinary interests and location. Their studio, which is located in the Powerhouse Museum Sydney, allows them full access to a wide breadth of historical textiles, including traditional French lace and handmade Art Deco wallpaper designed by Auguste Thomas, the latter of which served as the primary inspiration for the collection. Such a feeling of modern antiquity was then captured by the slender bias-cut dresses made from vintage Italian bedspreads—some caped, some sleeveless—feathered trims, and evening gloves. More contemporary were pieces such as an embellished denim pencil skirt paired with a flannel or totally mod mini styled over contrasting coral tights.
“The collection was shot in the [Powerhouse Museum], and so we used garments that could talk to the furniture,” Sales explains, nodding to one embroidered patchwork jacket with a fuchsia feather collar that, upon second glance, matches the upcycled couch next to it. The vibrant world-building gave the feeling of a silent film restored by modern technology. Cheesy? Perhaps, but Sales and Plunkett’s over-the-top design nature is often the point: “There is kind of a weird humor in what we do.”
