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Dion Lee: A New Star Tailor Is Born

The next time anyone laments about a supposed lack of new design talent in Australia, tell him or her to check out Dion Lee, a 23-year-old wunderkind who staged the best debut collection by any designer on the planet this year on Tuesday, April 28, in Sydney.

Staged deep in the bowels of an underground car park in King’s Cross, this city’s equivalent of New York's East Village, the collection was a remarkable display of assured cutting, subtle layering and charming references to, and subversions of, contemporary Western Europe minimalist ideas.

Created in a limited hue of putty grey, white and a turquoise blue, the clothes were deceptively simple, yet every single look was powerful. Using perforated leather for shoulders and faintly bubbled skirts, crisp white cotton for shirts and vests and black silk twill in micro cocktails Lee conjured up his own fresh vision of architectural fashion.

“John Chamberlain sculptures and something of their form,” said Lee backstage when asked about his inspiration, referring to the car crash art works of that American artist.

Lee’s best ideas were frequently in the detailing – miniature “windows” cut into jacket sleeves, or diamond shape cutouts in the knees of trousers or elbows of jackets all made the garments look new, yet always wearable.

“It’s so easy to make minimal look dull, but Dion makes it work. It’s all so fresh,” said the editor-in-chief of Australian Grazia, Alison Veness-McCourty.

This, too, was one of those fashion moments when the entire creative team was clearly inspired by a great collection. Hair by Brad Ngata was a eye-catching series of chignons curled, ever so askew, at the back with great charm; the soundtrack by Breni Single was a great churning romp that went from a Kurosawa-like ceremony to a bombastic finale, softened by some minimalist vibes.

Throw in impeccable styling by Christine Centenera and a truly admirable piece of staging with a punchy florescent light backdrop by Mark Vassallo and it added up to a great fashion moment from Lee, who was part of a joint junior runway show last season here.

For the finale, Lee saved his best look for the last passage, a natty peak shoulders, metallic jacket with open elbow over white boyfriend’s shirt worn with coquettish charm. This was the type of debut performance that would win a standing ovation in Milan or Paris and the sort of show that designers in their mid-thirties very, very occasionally turn out after working 70 hour weeks for 15 years with Miuccia Prada or John Galliano.

“Pretty impressive for someone who is just 23. No? Talk about maturity,” said Australia Vogue editor-in-chief Kirstie Clements.

It was a magna cum laude fashion performance from Dion Lee, a name we’ll all be hearing about in the future.

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