As the timeless adage goes: nothing great was ever accomplished alone. It’s a sentiment shared by Aje Co-Founders Edwina Forest and Adrian Norris, who have led the brand with a collaborative spirit since its 2008 inception — an ethos that still lies at the heart of the House today.
In fact, it is this very belief in the power of synergy that drove the debut of the Resort 23 ‘Sculptura’ runway at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, thanks to a number of brand partners whose creativity and care enabled the Aje embodiment of raw beauty and effortless cool in show form.
Held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney Australia, read on to peer behind the scenes and meet the artists and partners who helped bring the Aje Resort 23 runway to life.
Photographed outside ahead of the show, much of Sydney’s style set appeared to attend the Resort 23 show, thanks to Creator Commerce Partner LTK - Reward Style; including guests Kate Waterhouse, Anna Heinrich and Em Gurr, who were seen dressed in the pieces from Pre-Fall 22, Biophilia. Violet Atkinson and Renee Bargh were also spotted in the front row, wearing the upcoming Spring 22 collection, 'Provenance'.
In creating the signature raw beauty look for the Resort 23 ‘Sculptura’ runway, Hair Director John Pulitano for O&M used the Australian-born haircare brand’s cruelty-free products to create the sleek yet undone effect of the models’ ‘wet look’ tresses.
“Essentially, you're taking the natural texture of the hair and enhancing the strands with a product that gives it a super-sleek yet relaxed finish,” John Pulitano told The Aje Report.
The end result echoed saltwater-soaked strands freshly emerged from the sea, exuding the effortlessly cool Aje Woman aesthetic.
Styled to reflect the ‘Sculptura’ collection’s melange of textures, ghdhair tools wereused backstage to prepare the models’ tresses, mimicking the effect of having just emerged from the sea after a languid day in the summer sun.
To achieve the models’ fresh yet glowing complexions, their faces were prepped using skincare partner Sunday Riley’s Ceramic Slip Cleanser to deeply cleanse the skin. Led by Resort 23 Beauty Director and longtime Aje collaborator Isabella Schimid, the skin was then prepped using the brand’s cult-favourite Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment to naturally brighten the complexion.
Cheeks took on a soft dewiness with Flavedo and Albedo’s buildable Dew Tint, while eyes were highlighted using the Bright Stripe Eyeliner in Gold and High Glow highlighter in Champagne, with the plastic-free cosmetics brand’s high performance makeup delivering a soft yet pigmented finish to bring a touch of colour to the face.
New season Aje x Local Supply Sunglasses also accessorised select runway looks, with the collaboration’s signature Square silhouettes recreated with encrusted crystals, embellishing frames of ecru and citrus with luminescent lenses for a heightened statement.
Unveiling a fourth collaboration on the Resort 23 ‘Sculptura’ runway, Superga x Aje returns with an all-new design reimagining the Italian brand’s iconic 2750 and 2790 platform sneakers. Made in Italy and crafted from a faux grape-based leather derived from 80% skins, seeds and stalks obtained during wine production, the new iterations are embellished with Swarovski Crystals and contrasting embroidery, complementing the vibrant hues present in the collection.
