Richard de Chazal Fashion Show - Review & Photos

Gold Coast Fashion Week had one other thing amid allegations of paedophilia – fashion.

Designer Richard de Chazal’s spectacular couture collection transformed jeans ‘n’ t-shirt-wearing models into high society ladies.

Normally a two-hour parade delay would be enough for any fashionista to stiletto it (in non-fashion speak, this means to leave).

But from the moment two, (shirtless) male models emerged to throw around some hay (the logic behind this remains a mystery, but it reduced the VIP audience to cheers), it was clear this was a show not to be missed.

A veteran in extravagance, de Chazal’s show was a celebration of the La Belle Époque period of 1895-1914.

“I’m really keen on the design ethics of the late nineteenth century,” he said.

“Generally it is kind of a Parisian movement, which was sort of spearheaded by the Beautiful Era.”

The Gold Coast Arts Centre appears a poor substitute for the streets of Paris, but the designer’s elegant signature style made it easy to forget Surfers Paradise was in such near proximity.

With no catwalk in sight, models paraded around the Western-themed setting to the beautiful voice of opera singer Jacqueline Mabardi, who had taken centre stage.

“I thought this might be a bit more interesting and work better than a catwalk,” de Chazal said of the layout.

“Quite often when you see [John] Galliano or [Jean Paul] Gaultier or Alexander McQueen, they have in the past done some really amazing shows, which are kind of set up in little fantasies where the models are in a kind of surreal existence.”

But word of warning, if you’re anti-frill, then this isn’t the show for you.

Layers of frills cascaded down creamy-white skirts and were mixed with the trademark styles of the nineteenth century: cinched in waists and corsets.

On top of this, models sported black top hats, chic veils and black leather gloves.

As for the fashionably late start, there were no backstage tantrums, nor were there any ‘technical difficulties’ as told.

“It wasn’t my fault,” insists the designer.

“Well first of all, there is no organisation, we were supposed to have models here at two o’clock, nobody bothered to show until six o’clock,” he said.

The show was an effortless piece, so it is hard to believe that only hours earlier, models had been learning when to come on, where to pose and what exactly to do with those giant black feathers some were holding.