Afterpay Australian Fashion Week has kicked off in style with a stunning opening show from Bianca Spender.

After a quieter than usual event in 2021 under the lingering threat of COVID-19 outbreaks, it’s hoped this year’s event returns some excitement and glamour to the Australian fashion scene.

Held again at Carriageworks in Sydney’s Redfern, stylish attendees bought a riot of colour and texture to the sidewalks around the event.

Bianca Spender’s show introduced sleek silhouettes with sheer and silk layering pieces cut and draped to flatter the form of each model. The show presented pieces from Spender’s Summer and Resort 2022 collections and were made up of 90% deadstock fabrics given new life once again.

“I had been thinking about the idea of disruptive beauty and pushing the notion of what is seen as beautiful,” founder and creative director Bianca Spender explains.

“The collection delves into themes of individuality and self-expression, and we wanted to extend this to the beauty look to embrace the uniqueness of women.”

To complement the idea of highlighting each person’s unique style and personality the beauty look worked with the skin and hair of each model.

Partnering for the third year with leading stylist hair brand Goldwell, Hair Director Christopher Hunter, Co-Owner of Willomina, Woollahra, presented two hair looks for the show.

“Working with each model’s natural hair we individualised each look keeping it natural, effortlessly styled, and true to the model’s hair texture,” says Hunter.

“The chic, smooth and fluid blow-dry of look one moves beautifully when the models walk offering a natural and feminine aesthetic to this look. The pulled-back low twist bun in look two is raked back on the head allowing for natural texture and movement to appear with the low, twist bun at the lowest point of the neck adding a touch of elegance and complexity. The styling reflects the Bianca Spender brand beautifully. It’s effortlessly elegant, confident, and individual.”

To recreate Look 1: Hair down with effortless natural hair texture, movement, and shine:

Step 1
Apply Goldwell Stylesign Ultra Volume Power Whip to towel dried or dampened hair in 2-inch sections – off the root through the mid lengths and ends of hair. Using a round brush, blow dry hair in sections to create a straight, smooth blow dry working with your natural part.

Step 2
Spray Goldwell Stylesign Just Smooth Sleek Perfection onto freshly blow-dried hair to protect from heat and enhance shine. Using a flat iron, iron hair from the mid lengths to ends, in
sections, to create a smooth and silky finish. Spray Goldwell Kerasilk Style Smoothing Sleek Spray before ironing the final section of hair for a silky, sleek finish.

Step 3
Finish hair with a few sprays of Goldwell Stylesign Perfect Hold Magic Finish and a shimmering ‘mist’ of Goldwell Stylesign Just Smooth Diamond Gloss.

To recreate Look 2: Naturally pulled back hair with a low twist bun:

Step 1
Apply a small amount of Goldwell Stylesign Ultra Volume Power Whip to your hands and scrape back product onto dry hair using a raking technique with your fingers to pull hair back into a low ponytail. Tie off ponytail at the lowest point of the nape of your neck with elastic.

Step 2
Using more Goldwell Stylesign Ultra Volume Power Whip apply to ponytail and twist until the ponytail folds back on itself. Secure the end of the ponytail to the base with elastic.

Step 3
Smooth over ends of the bun using Kerasilk Style Accentuating Finish Crème and finish with Kerasilk Style Fixing Effect Hair Spray for a silky finish with hold.