Diamond Dogs

“All her friends - the diamond dogs - hated her affair with Johnny Volume. She stopped dressing like a yuppie. They were saying, ‘Get a nice suit Judith’ but when she arrived back from New York she’d created a new persona.” Diamond Dogs Kate Sylvester Winter 2010

“As a teenager growing up in Auckland I would scour the Felicity Ferrit gossip column for news of the infamous Black Lips Baragwanath and her café society friends. I knew she wore black lipstick. I knew she was beautiful. I knew she wore gym slips, trench coats and men’s shoes. I knew her posh Remuera friends were scandalized by her punk boyfriend. I knew Auckland was scandalized by her full stop. I knew there was no one like her.”

Welcome to ‘Diamond Dogs’ Kate Sylvester’s Winter 2010 tribute to Black Lips Baragwanath and her glorious and glamorous friends’ the Diamond Dogs. Judith ‘Black Lips’ Baragwanath straddled two worlds. In one she had glamorous ladies-who-lunch friends and from this world Kate has created an array of very feminine and sophisticated tea dresses and gowns. Judith’s other world was populated by artists and punks represented by bateau neck stripes, men’s overcoats and patched-on screen prints.

Judith herself stormed through Auckland in her signature menswear and school uniforms. Kate Sylvester’s fascination with extremes results in the mash up of these clashing worlds combining men’s tailoring, lingerie, uniforms and couture - all with a Black Lips twist of diamonds and Sam Browne belts. An oversized tweed blazer is slung over one shoulder revealing a contrasting blush pink gown. Delicate lace lingerie is paired with khaki, military inspired suiting, and a powder blue blouse tucks into stripy y-fronts. In a whole new approach to menswear a nude camisole replaces the dinner shirt under a classic tux.

The collection is artfully flung together resulting in a considered dishevelry. The look is a transgressive play on menswear and womenswear, sexy and sophisticated dress-ups. The beauty is in the details – from the softly pleated shoulders of the Narcissus wrap dress, the Black Lips piping, and the fine buttoning and shoulder stitching on the Stephanie Loopy Dress. Gilded buttons, chains, domes and zips further enhance the detailing.

The palette is mix of powder blues and pinks offset by khaki and charcoal enhanced by the luxurious use of washed denims and silks, Chantilly lace and (faux) fur. Strongly conceptual and intelligent, Diamond Dogs highlights Kate’s unique vision of fashion celebrating all her signature obsessions with couture, lingerie, stripes, menswear, uniforms, tailoring and knitwear… this is hardcore Kate Sylvester at its finest. Hardcore too was the shows presentation. Set in a dirty warehouse embellished by chandeliers, the Black Lips army stormed the outsize runway to a sound track by the Horrors, Crocodiles and Stranglers. As to how Judith herself will respond Kate is optimistic – “A kiss with her fist will be better than none.”

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