Dion Lee

SS 09/10
I seemed to recall, not long since I was last perusing the internet, looking at the designs of Lee Matthews and seeing that Dion Lee of Ultimo Tafe take out the winning designs at the Australian Fashion Graduate of the Year Award 2009 Mercedes Brisbane Fashion Festival, that suddenly, whilst i checked up my Dazed website, who should pop onto the page? Why, Dion Lee!

After researching on his designs, it's wonder that he's been hailed the next big thing, set to explode already in Australia with opportunities on the international scale. He is definitely one to watch with his strong yet feminine designs. Why do I think it is successful? And what can I learn from his direction:

. distinctive sculptural and engineered aesthetic in design
. detail. why this? why not this?
. technical pattern-making brilliance
. quality of make (finishings) and material
et ensuite
. selection for fashion competitions
et ensuite
. fashion shows- buyers
et ensuite
. pioneer a contemporary Australian fashion identity
et ensuite
. international presence

Here's what Dazed wrote of Dion Lee:

DION LEE BURSTS ONTO THE SCENE
Dion Lee strikes Australian fashion like a bolt of sartorial lighting- and it may never be the same again…
Disassociated from the relaxed, practical wearability that normally characterises Australian fashion, Dion Lee has burst onto the style scene like a rocket in flight. Completely unique in his vision, Lee combines structured architecturally with something distinctly primal; cutting, pasting, peeling back layers, celebrating form and the female body in a way that Australia has never seen it done before. A mere three seasons in, Lee is the most hyped, hot new talent the antipodean industry has seen in quite some time, and the nation is swelling with pride. Perhaps it is not long then, until Lee sets off to conquer the world, an imminent reign that seems more cemented in fact than the whimsical dreams of those who came before him.

Dazed Digital: You have been somewhat of an over night sensation in Australia. How do you feel about the hype?
Dion Lee: I suppose it doesn't feel like it happened overnight, for me. The collection I showed at Australian Fashion Week in April was my third season. I started my business straight out of college, without alot of experience and it has been a huge learning curve. I am definitely very pleased to that people are responding to the where it's going, however I still feel like I have long way to go before I start patting myself on the back.

DD: What inspired your SS 09/10 collection?
Dion Lee: I was looking at the crushed car sculptures of American artist John Chamberlain. I liked the idea of creating these crushed and twisted forms, in a clean tailored articulation. I also integrated a jewelry element into the pieces, using glass and silver chain as harnesses, that hold parts of the garments together.

http://www.dazeddigital.com/Fashion/article/4510/1/Dion_Lee_Bursts_onto_the_Scene

Here are some other sites to see his work.

His website: http://www.dionlee.com/
For an article on his Fashion Graduate of the Year show; http://www.ourbrisbane.com/shopping/mbff-feature/brisbane-designers-compete
For pictures of the show: http://www.thevine.com.au/fashion/articles/dion-lee-wins-fashion-graduate-of-the-year.aspx
"The night belonged to the gracious and softly spoken Dion Lee, who has recently sold his collection to Belinda Seper’s iconic boutique The Corner Shop which has played a key role in kick starting the careers of Australian labels such as Ksubi and Michelle Jank."
More pictures: http://www.thesupermelon.com/style/dion-lee-ss09/
http://extracheeese.com/tactile/dion-lee
Where to buy: http://www.mycatwalk.com.au/designer/dion-lee.html