Romance Was Born MBFWA 2013 Show Review

Every year, the Romance Was Born show is one of the most highly anticipated of the week.

Guests in attendance know they'll be in for a treat; with designers Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett pulling out all the stops to create a dramatic, whimsical show guaranteed to keep fans talking until next year's collection launch.

RELATED: Romance Was Born MBFWA 2013 Runway Photos

Last night was no exception - upon entering the brand's 'Mushroom Magic' showspace at a secret off-site location, guests found themselves immersed in an Alice in Wonderland themed underworld complete with sugardrops, crystals and mushroom tops.

Given the theme, it was easy to assume that Sales and Plunkett would have to rethink their approach from last year. While their 2012 Marven Comic collection had an ease of wearability, this year's 'Maidens to Princesses' range was a visual feast for the eyes, with full skirts, puffy shirts and dramatic capes in bold prints vying for attention.

INTERVIEW: Romance Was Born

"We don’t really follow fashion trends, but we focus on prints, and we have noticed amazing engineered prints to be a real focus," said Luke Sales before the show.

Indeed they were, with bright pinks and rich purples fusing together to create an almost psychadelic effect.

"Last night we were taken on a saccharine sweet journey at Romance Was Born, and we didn't want to get off," said Bree McDonald, marie claire's Fashion Market Editor. "The intricacy and all round artisenal quality of the show was more than even we could have expected. Like the sweetest dream we ever had, it was an exceptional way to close out day 1!"