The stark urban landscapes of the late Australian painter Jeffrey Smart inspired Dion Lee's show on Sunday (Sydney time) during New York Fashion Week.
"I like the feeling of these very industrial roadside landscapes. It's a dark, almost eerie, feeling but with a very primary modern colour palette," Lee said.
Dresses draped over anodised aluminium chains and slouchy suiting referencing workwear such as boilersuits and overalls were among the looks the Sydney designer showed in the Big Apple.
Other pieces incorporate lace with a gravel-like texture or metallic detailing that references the concrete streetscapes and industrial wastelands painted by Smart, who died in June last year aged 91.
"Geoffrey Smart was one of the first artists I remember seeing at a very young age, and I was seeing his work more frequently again after he passed away," Lee said.
A print featuring road markings and another made up of a collage of landscapes are also in the show, which came a day after Melbourne's Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin showed their Tome label's new spring summer collection during New York Fashion Week.
The duo were also inspired by artists for their show, with the work of Indian dancer Rukmini Devi and photographer Dayanita Singh providing plenty of movement and visual references to draw on.
"We first came across Dayanita Singh's work at an exhibition in London and became obsessed with her beautiful portraiture of Indian families and also Indian cityscapes," Martin said. "Her work is really intimate, beautiful and textured, and it really spoke to us."
Draped and wrapped dresses and skirts referenced saris, while a myriad of bold and bright colours evoked the vibrancy of India. The show focused on pieces that could be worn in multiple ways, such as a gathered dirndl skirt that was wrapped around the body and tied up with string, and a long T-shirt that was wrapped and tied at the waist.
"The most important pieces are the ones that have the whimsy and freedom to allow you to style them in your own way," Martin said.
The show marked a new, lighter and sexier moment for Tome, which made its New York Fashion Week debut in February with an austere autumn-winter range that was heavy on structure and strong, sculptural shapes.
"We've lightened up a lot," Martin said. "With your first show in New York you are playing with big boys, so we really wanted to make an impact. But we've come out of that feeling more light-hearted, warm and easy."
Sydney's Zimmermann also brought a dose of Australian ease to New York with its Tell Me Seer show on Friday, which marked the brand's third show as part of the official New York Fashion Week line-up.
Zimmermann's commitment to Fashion Week is reflective of the label's growth in America, where it recently opened a boutique in the Hamptons. It has stores in Los Angeles and New York.
