Page 20 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, September 25, 2013 - Page 97
PHOTO: IKON IMAGES
Mark Richardson ♥ Straight from the heart
E-Mail: mark@localmedia.com.au
ARTZ DUO PRESENTS ETERNITY
■ What do you expect when you mix talented fashion designers, poets, milliners, painters, jewellers, spotlights, flashing cameras, a runway and hundreds of guests with the second largest independent arts festival in Australia? Well, that should be easy to answer. According to its creators, “it's a magical and creative playground where different mediums of art are at liberty to collide with one another and create new art renditions’. Another possible answer for people outside the fashion industry loop (like me) who still enjoy exciting and inspiring events , may simply be explained as - ETERNITY is presented by ARTZ and will be held at ALUMBRA in Docklands as part of the 2013 Melbourne Fringe Festival and is one event on Sunday, October 6, that we can't afford to miss. Yes, that is easier. ARTZ is a creative collaboration between fashion designer and L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival /Melbourne Spring Fashion Week organiser Aron Katona, and published poet and writer Ejaz Ahamed. At the heart of ARTZ, their events offer emerging and established fashion designers and artists a platform to showcase their talents. With just five days to go before hundreds are expected to see the launch of Aron's and Ejaz's second and highly anticipated show - ENTERNITY, I visited their Fashion Studio Porch in South Melbourne. Upon arriving I discovered Ejaz reciting poetry for the show as he strives to reignite society's love for poetry though his works; whilst Aron was surrounded by material, pins, sequins, Swarovski crystals, faux furs and crystal spider brooches to design his latest range, that will again impress and turn heads. I immediately suspected I was in for an educational treat.
ebrated as an artist. The networking opportunities that will arise as a result of the show will be amazing. There is also an incredible sense of belonging with one another as artists. First there was BIRTH and now Melbourne is set to enjoy ETERNITY. What will be the next major ARTZ show and where will it be held? Aron: The next ARTZ show will be held at Club 23, Crown Towers for MIDSUMMA Festival in 2014. We have created this show to specifically raise funds for the Victorian Aids Council and the fight against AIDS. What is your Porch Thought For The Day: Aron: You don't need permission from anyone to live your dreams. Ejaz: Free yourself from the prison of what others think of you. ARTZ presents ENTERNITY at Alumbra in Docklands on Sunday 6 October from 5pm. Tickets can be purchased from the official Melbourne Fringe Festival website. http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/ fringe-festival/show/eternity/
Fringe Porch Thoughts How did the business collaboration between yourself and Ejaz come to be? Aron: I read Ejaz's book Straight To Your heart and contacted him with the idea of printing poems on fabrics for L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. Ejaz loved the idea and we decided to apply the idea to the artists of Melbourne and challenge them to inspire one another. You're a published poet and renowned writer in both Australia and overseas. Is there still a place for poetry in society, particularly in the world of fashion? Ejaz: My goal is to get people interested in poetry again through my works and live readings. I feel poetry is profoundly lacking in today's world and the world can use poetry as an escape from mundane routines. How does poetry, particularly Ejaz's works, connect with people during the show? Aron: Ejaz has amazing talents to infuse a Shakespearean flavour into his sonnets with contemporary distinction. This immediately connects the audience. His writings are truly beautiful. Being just 24 years-of-age Ejaz, your poetry has connected with so many people on many different levels. Apart from ARTZ shows, where else have you presented or published your writings? Following my first published poetry collection in book, I was invited by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Susan Riley to perform a poetry reading at the Lady Mayoress' Committee at Melbourne Town Hall. I have also interviewed Melbourne based milliners Peter Jago and Louise
MacDonald for a feature published in the Australian Writer's Magazine. Fashion commentators and design colleagues have described your Aron and kARON Juliet labels as 'raw' with an 'edgy' appeal. Where does this 'rawness' come from? Aron: I create everything through my raw passion for materials and showmanship; as well as interacting with other amazing designers in the industry. As I didn't acquire formal qualifications in design, I saved up for domestic overlockers in my early twenties and started out by cutting up old clothes and tracing patterns to create new garments in my dad's attic every night after work. So really, you are a self-taught and now respected designer at just 28-years-ofage? Aron: Yes. I kept screwing up until the garments starting looking like the visions I had in my head. Raw desire to express my creativity, drive and experimentation has led me to where I am now. With respect to your clothing labels ARON and kARON Juliet, do you feel people within or outside of the fashion industry can understand your vision? Aron: Yes I do challenge people's understanding of my fashion. My visions emerge from my rawness and intuition. My label is all about unusual fashion that is still luxurious and never caring about what fashion critics think. What is your latest design you have created that we may expect to see a glimpse of during ETERNITY? Aron: It's an insect inspired creation with a pastel colour palette with some exciting acid bright colour infusions covered in 20 crystal spider brooches for my premium label with Karen Alexander kARON Juliet. This Spring, there will also be plenty of whimsical pastels along with neon acids finished garments with gold trimming. In a snapshot, what will we expect to see at your ETERNITY show at Alumbra in Docklands on Sunday, October 6? Ejaz: You can expect ethereal fashion intertwined with heavenly words from young poets and fashion designers. There is no other fashion show like it. Who are some of the designers that will be showcasing their talents and works? Ejaz: There are close to 25 incredibly talented artists representing many walks of the fashion, art and design industries. These include: Andrew Dyer, Annette Sanfilippo Millinery Art, Ashely Simone, Bastion Killjoy, Bettie's Boutique, Brett Ditchfield, Constantine Foxx, David Dwyer, Fiona Sievers, Grandma Funk, Judith Penak Couture, La Bella Haute
Couture, Lace and Dandy, Lana Volkov, Leila Sweeney, Margarita Yerusalimsky, Milliner Peter Jago, Rachel Brooke, ReVerse Butcher, Stacie, Sleep Couture, Taboo Millinery, Veronica Vamp Unique Art and Designer Victoria St. John. What have been some of the challenges putting this show together? Aron: Sifting through venues in Melbourne that complements the theme of our show and that was also best suited for every artist's needs. Alumbra was perfect with their heritage setting. Pairing up poets with designers and artists is also quite challenging too. What does being part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival mean to you as cofounders and producers of the event? Ejaz: It is indeed an honour for us and all the creative artists to be honoured and celebrated as an artist. The networking opportunities that will arise as a result of the show will be amazing. There is also an incredible sense of belonging with one another as artists. First there was BIRTH and now Melbourne is set to enjoy ETERNITY. What will be the next major ARTZ show and where will it be held? Aron: The next ARTZ show will be held at Club 23, Crown Towers for MIDSUMMA Festival in 2014. We have created this show to specifically raise funds for the Victorian Aids Council and the fight against AIDS. What is your Porch Thought For The Day? Aron: You don't need permission from anyone to live your dreams. Ejaz: Free yourself from the prison of what others think of you. ■ ARTZ presents ENTERNITY at Alumbra in Docklands on Sunday, October 6, from 5pm. Tickets can be purchased from the official Melbourne Fringe Festival website: www.melbournefringe.com.au/ fringe-festival/show/eternity/
● ARTZ co-founders Aron Katona and Ejaz Ahamed
● Purain Sandhu ● Tiarne Mitchell ARTZ photos by Deep Golder of DJ Photography
Some of the artists showcasing at ARTZ ● Peter Jago - Milliner to the sophisticated and stylish ladies of racing
● Victoria St John Endless Time Collection
● Vera Dinic Veronica Vamp Wearable Art
● Zorza Goodman (Melbourne based milliner)