Designer DETAIL - Alice McCall

When the two Kate's (Kate Moss and Katie Grand that is) are playing tug of war with customized pieces by an inspired new fashion designer, it's a very good sign of things to come. Australia's Alice McCall hasn't disappointed.

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If you follow Australian fashion, McCall's look is fairly easy to follow season by season. Aside from the ethereal way girls seem to glide along in a McCall piece, traditionally her collections have been punctuated by 70s style embroideries, lace and pockets. McCall is not afraid to try something new and she's not afraid of colour. Slick, modern and sophisticated with a youthful sheen and a playful wink, Alice McCall is not for wallflowers but those who love fashion and aren't afraid to stand out from the crowd.

Starting her career as a fashion stylist in London in the late 90s, McCall has an impressive and diverse portfolio having worked alongside famed fashion photographer Rankin, she regularly styled for Dazed and Confused magazine, toured with Marianne Faithful, and has dressed notable fashion personalities Kelis, Destiny's Child, Natalie Imbruglia and Blondie, as well as styling numerous international advertising campaigns for brands such as Levi's, Nike and Rimmel.

The shift from Stylist to Designer began to unfold when afore mentioned style icons Kate Moss (no explanation needed) and London stylist Katie England (ground breaking stylist and Editor-in-Chief of brand new fashion tome 'Love') snapped up her customized pieces from top London boutiques Pineal Eye, Euphoria and Wink.

Head hunted by Buddhist Punk to design the women's collection for Spring Summer '02, followed by a quick chance meeting with Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke led Alice back to Australia and the design room of Sass and Bide.

McCall launched her self-titled label at Australian Fashion Week 2004 and has since shown in successive Australian and London fashion weeks since and for the first time in New York in September 2008.

As the accolades rolled in, McCall was approached by Target to create a limited edition one off collection as part of their 'Designers for Target' initiative and has also enjoyed huge success with UK high street retailer Top Shop with the Alice McCall for Top Shop collection.

McCall was also featured in '100 New Designers', a large format, hard cover coffee table book by celebrated British fashion writer Hywel Davies.

'Some are not insects', McCall's offering for Autumn Winter '09, finds the designer investigating the aesthetic of insects, the patterns they make and the patterns that form them. This miniature world unveils its secrets and surprises through extreme magnification. The result? Highly graphic, unique, modern, geometric and pretty prints on the most beautiful fabrics and yet another signature McCall look.

Further exploration of insect patterns is revealed through Microdot flocked prints of ant farms and ant and bug mandalas with an almost floral appeal.

McCall continues to examine modern tailoring, evolving her characteristic contrast design lines through clever construction. The collection features cocooned shoulders and armholes, floating panels and contoured style lines evoking beetle armor and wasps wings.

The collection features a bespoke embroidered lace, complete with impressions of 1950's sci-fi comic strip horror films where giant tarantulas and preying mantis creatures stalk screaming women.

Sounds unusual? Perhaps - but you'd never know it until you get up close. A bit like a kid with a magnifying glass and a beetle.

Visit www.alicemccall.com

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Find Alice McCall at the following online boutiques:
www.closetprincess.com.au