Crowds gathered for Night 3 of FashFest at the new, slightly warmer than last year’s location of the National Convention Centre – a bigger venue for a much bigger show. Tonight was all about ‘The Cartographer’, or someone who makes maps. Incorporating the essence of land and exploring how reality can be manipulated, we saw a great example of how garments are constructed and changed.

As the elegant and dapper dressed sat in their seats the show began, kicking off with old-school speakeasy music and live trumpet. Melanie Child’s sculptural and eclectic style intrigued the audience with dark, monochrome, bold and classic designs. There was a tie-dye influence among the garments, however the overall design still remained corporate chic that had a strong ethos on structure. It was a sophisticated design that included high button-ups that is perfect for Canberra’s winter.

Feauturing both ‘Faces’ of Fashfest, Braddon Tailors stepped on the catwalk with class and elegance. Showing off a beautiful collection of men’s and women’s suits, this green and brown-based design charmed the audience. The collection played on the speakeasy feel which lingered throughout the night, with a fun twist on a classic Englishman’s look. The tones of light browns, dark greens, maroons and light grey played in important part of the entire collection.

Bird Keepers entered the catwalk with an upbeat sound and vibe. With the use of minimal colours and focusing on a corporate style, Bird Keepers kept it causal and chic with everyday cotton blends as well as strong focus on comfort. The ladies from Cooma impressed the audience with these sophisticated designs that are wearable to everyday events.

Illusory Cog took us away from the 60s and into another world. The set has the audience attention from the get go with the deep bass of the music that brought the seriousness back into the catwalk. The collection was based around black-and-white checks with a mix of colour featured on the faces of the models that only added to the drama. The make up on the models was amazing and a work of art by itself, and the creative designs combined with the make up made Illusory Cog a memorable part of Fashfest Night 3.

Comfortable. Stylish. Sleek. Not the usual words you would hear to describe your sportswear. The collection for Red Corner was centred around boxing, with models walking and showing off their expertise in a jab-cross-punch on the catwalk. The highlight of the collection was the hyper-coloured tie-dye leggings. This theme creates a fun environment and it would brighten up the attitudes in the boxing ring.

The debut night for the up-and-coming label MAAK went off without a stitch out of place. This sport-inspired streetwear included some amazing unisex pieces that complimented all models who graced the catwalk. The collection kicked off with a peach and white duo, followed by an influence of rebellion and punk rock in the men’s range. MAAK is a funky take on everyday clothing, and this range came across as very wearable and appealing.

Next up we had Miranda Sakhino, which was my favourite collection of the night. I was taken back through time to the 1960s were sun-kissed pastels and over-sized heads scarfs and sunglasses were essential. The models paraded the catwalk with their beehives and smoky gold make up. There were many African influences and cues among the contemporary and timeless elements such as the African headpieces. The audience gasped as the final model entered the catwalk. Dripping in beautiful gold dress, the stunning design was modern yet classic. A majority of the audience would agree it was the showstopper of the night.

Not a stranger to Fashfest, Sovata finished off the night with an impressive collection and showed the audience how to close a fashion show with a bang. The most electric collection of the night, Sovata incorporated colour blocking and neons in a collection that was upbeat and classy. It was extremely refreshing to see bright yellows, oranges and emerald greens on the catwalk.

Each garment was compliment with a beautiful headpiece, reminiscent of Roman soldiers. As such, although the designs were delicate and bright, they were strong and bold.

As expected, the third night was an entertaining show that incorporated all elements of location and place for all of the nine designers. It was breathtaking to see how one theme can correlate so differently across different garments, which made the night interesting and yearning for more after each designer took a bow.

After a spectacular three nights, you do not want to miss the Fashfest finale!