DION LEE RESORT 2013

Fashion designer Dion Lee is a rapidly rising star in the fashion world. Hailing from Australia, Lee wowed crowds at Australia’s Fashion Week last year when he secured the Sydney Opera House as a setting for his catwalk collection.

Lee made his move across the ocean to London for his spring summer 2011 collection and it was most recently revealed that Dion Lee assisted rapper Kanye West in designing a shoe collection for West’s line.

With all this hype, fortunately, Dion Lee’s resort collection doesn’t disappoint and once again reflected his strong use of tailoring with an underlying playfulness.

Different themes were showcased in the resort collection. Aquatic life was presented with deep blues juxtaposed with pastes in lilac and mint. The print used at times during the resort collection looked like the concave ripples from the movement of water, whilst the use of wetsuit material with ridges imitated the gills of a fish.  Dion Lee then progressed these patterns into futuristic designs.

Linear print were used at the edges of the garments, particularly noticeable in neon, giving a 3D impression. This was extended with metallic knitwear that seemed almost luminous. Elsewhere in the resort collection, the suit was a standout piece, resembling fluid molten that had adapted itself to the model’s silhouette.  Lee’s hems went down to the knee whilst laser-cut detailing kept it neat and structured.

Dion Lee managed to create a resort collection that provided a good balance between wearable garments and eccentric, modern creations. The resort collection was playful, with innovative use of materials and patterns, establishing him as an exciting designer to watch.

- Kelsey Traynor