Manning Cartell MBFWA 2013 Show Review

Most off-site shows elicit a groan from the fashion set, but everyone was more than happy to trot the extra few metres in their heels to the Manning Cartell show last night.

After all, this is a brand that has continually gone from strength to strength, with last year's collection firmly cementing their status as one of Australia's most innovative fashion names.

This time around, the brand played with the theme of Romeo and Juliet, or as designer Gabrielle Manning put it, "a story of love and hate, youth and age, comedy and tragedy, dream and reality, fate and chance."

Indeed, the show was a play on opposites, with monochrome ensembles juxtaposed against lighter metallics, and dimensional fabrics of embroidery and netting competing with chunky cotton knits and jacquards.

"With a focus on fusing modern technologies with traditional crafts and capturing the subtle mix between polished and undone, the result – cool, easy, chic looks that embody youthful elegance," said the brand.

Meanwhile, Laura Dundovic summed up the collection in two words: "Fun and fierce!" she tweeted.