Ingrid Starnes Arcadia

Walking under a canopy of orchids, Ingrid Starnes’ ladylike models walked the first show of Fashion Week 2011 in her AW12 Collection, Arcadia…

Walking under a canopy of orchids, Ingrid Starnes’ ladylike models walked the first show of Fashion Week 2011 in her AW12 Collection, Arcadia.

As it was the first show, I was pretty distracted by the venue itself; the brand new Viaduct Events Centre, just a block further down Halsey Street from previous years’ sheds. This is a massive improvement, and sitting here in the – albeit overcrowded- media centre on wifi to file a report is the icing on the cake.

Back to the fashion.

Arcardia is not a huge departure from Ingrid Starnes’ other collections, rather, it builds upon it and would provide more pieces to work in with the existing collection of her customers.

Below: A touch of fur brings a vintage feel to green eyes and a red dress. Photo Megan Robinson.

It is described as “a playful take on the impossible romance of memory, themed loosely on an imaginary garden so beautiful it might be haunted.”

This garden materialised in a garden floating above the garden in model’s imaginations – and visible to us, the viewer – with orchids hanging from nylon, roots and all.

It’s prim, but not too proper, with ladylike dresses tempered by being slightly see-through, cut in georgettes and laces over slips. Fur wraps are slung over one shoulder.

Navy slim trousers and tops with white applique triangles tread the right side of the fine line between fashion, and a very fashionable airline uniform from Italy.

Waists are all defined – loosely, though – with belts or self-ties. Colour made the strongest impact, both in block shades of cherry and mustard, and her Arcadia print, a musty floral.

Ingrid Starnes used to work at Kate Sylvester before starting her eponymously-titled label in 2009 and this heritage shows in her exquisite pattern-making and feminine cuts.

Hair was styled by KMS California Hair Director Greg Murrell of Auckland’s Ryder Salon.“Ingrid’s look is quite feminine but there’s a real strength behind it,” says Greg. “So I created an off the face, messy chignon at the nape of the neck, starting from a ponytail base, with a loose surface texture.” The overall feel is sculptural, with a sense of freedom to the hair texture."

Below: One for the four M.A.C Face Charts for the runway makeup for Ingrid Starnes, created by key make-up artist Shirley Simpson for M.A.C Cosmetics with the inspiration “Dreamy and Otherwordly.”

By Megan Robinson
Photos by KMS California
30 August 2011