Enthusiastic volunteers scurry about, as a bunch of photographers set their cameras up in what seems like a wide theater with a strangely elongated stage.

A lady with a preoccupied expression on her face shouts, "10 minutes for the doors to open!"

There's a sense of anticlimax as everyone jostles about trying to get things done in under 10 minutes.

You get the feeling that you're at a theatrical production until you hear a set of heels... Everyone looks up, and with a winning smile on her face, walks in Ruby Rose. She looks directly at the cameramen and gives them that very look they have been dying to capture - confidence, style and glamour, all wrapped up in one. The lights go off, an electric tune sets the mood and you know at once that you're at a fashion show.

 

On the 18^th of March 2010, style met revolutionary as 12 graduate designers from universities across Australia, came together to present a spectacular fashion show at the L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Week. 'Metamorphosis' was not just any fashion show, but a show that reflected fashion's contemporary spirit as seen through the eyes of Albert Lee, Alyssa Choat, Christiana Livaditis, Daniella Caputi, Danielle van Camp, Ellie Meyer, Georgia Lazzaro, Jacqueline Tyrell, Laura de Vries, Olivia Jung, Robyn Taggart and Yoan Hendrik Limah.

The designs were sometimes two-dimensional, at times dramatic, elegant, fresh and represented a contemporary femme fatale. A certain warrior like persona was seen in some of the garments such as Olivia Jung's, while Jacqueline Tyrell embraced elegance and femininity in her designs.

Christiana Livaditis' collection 'A Language of Romance' set her apart form the rest of the crowd as her models glided down the ramp in smooth lacy fabric, representing iconic romances throughout history. Ellie Meyer's 'Prufrock' Collection had a lot of layers in her designs beautifully weaving together proportion and symmetry.

Black remained a dominant colour throughout the show, while some of the designers such as Robyn Taggart, incorporated pretty pastels into her unique vision and beautifully executed designs. Yoan Hendrik Limah's designs juxtaposed two-dimensional pieces with three-dimensional cuts inspiring an east meets west attitude, fusing two different fashion cultures together. Her striped pieces also gave the hazy impression of a powerful woman in the workplace.

Alyssa Choat and Daniella Caputi channelised a new gothic vibe in their avant-garde style. Layers were a big part of the showcase, as the designers mixed and matched contrasting layers with free flowing trousers and ankle length leggings.

To view photos click here.

All 12 designers had a unique twist to their designs, breathing life into our contemporary fashion conscious culture. While still only graduates from university, each of them have a promising future with their unprecedented and experimental ideas, giving recycled fashion ideas that are now overcrowding our stores, a definitive death sentence. These are the names to look out for and the future face of fashion.

Photographs by Nikita Vaz.