Designer DETAIL - Gary Bigeni
Unless you're deeply ensconced in the Australian fashion scene, Gary Bigeni may be a fairly new name to fall upon your ears, however, with some of Australia's most respected fashion heavy hitters as supporters; it's only a matter of time before Bigeni is a house-hold name.
View more from the collection here >>
Already lauded by Australian, US and UK fashion media as the creator of fluid garments which can be twisted and folded into multiple shapes and worn in many ways, the Bigeni look is futuristic but classic, which may seem a fairly stark contrast, but it's easy to understand how the unique look came to be when speaking to the designer.
"I really enjoy the fluid format of the fabric. All my pieces are draped on a dummy. In my head I have an idea of a twist and I try to work out what the pattern would look like. It's quite experimental [and I use a lot of] trial and error. I feel it as well as see it ... my hands take over" says Bigeni who strives to create garments which can be worn for years to come without being labelled with the 'that's so five seasons ago' tag.
Beginning in 1998, Bigeni studied fashion design and manufacturing at East Sydney Tafe and F.B.I Fashion College. In 2003 he was selected by Nicholas Huxley to take part in the Melbourne Fashion Festival student parade entitled '4', a show in which his folds and twists took shape following the quite structured, tailored look he produced during his years of study.
The following Gary Bigeni Winter '04 collection summoned a great deal of interest and was picked up by boutiques including Blonde Venus and Belinda Seper's The Corner Shop.
Seper mentored and supported Bigeni's Summer '04 collection. She says; "Our love affair with Gary Bigeni commenced at his first collection. Beyond his masterful approach to patternmaking and drape, he is a truly generous and genuine human being and without his involvement our little fashion world would be a darker and less fabulous place."
It is also worth noting that Bigeni spent time working for the internationally renowned Australian label, Josh Goot - designing two collections for New York's Olympus Fashion Week and two local collections for Australia and New Zealand.
"I find a lot of my inspiration comes from seeing people and what they wear and how they move. I like looking at faces." Says Bigeni. His muse illustrates his aesthetic beautifully. "I would have loved to dress Angelica Houston in the 70's. She was quite quirky and dark but so beautiful, simple and interesting."
The Earth and her ever-changing climate conditions were the underlying inspirations for Bigeni's current Spring/Summer 2008/09 collection (pictured) which launched the same year Vogue Australia named Gary Bigeni as its label to watch.
What's next for Bigeni? A small capsule collection designed for the American market, the first of what is guaranteed to be many. Stocked in American rag in LA, the collection is a version of what we will see here in Australia this winter, but altered to suit the northern hemisphere climate. Expect to see new experimentation with leather and heavier woven fabrics all with a twisted element.
Visit www.garybigeni.com
