I’ve featured Vladimir Karaleev previously, but since then he’s designed two more collections and there are interviews and video of his shows now available. Courtesy of all of this new information on the designer, I’ve learned that he’s colourblind! Of course, when your concentration is mostly focused on draping and layering, colour tends to play second chair as is. He can see the colour blue, which is what initially attracted me to his clothing, and can be seen making another appearance in his Fall 10/11 collection. Anyway, each collection brings a refinement of his basic aesthetic principles and I’m looking forward to seeing more of it in the future.

I’ve posted pictures from the Fall 10/11 collection, but check out the video below to see a preview of Spring 2011

Generally, when I think about Australian designers I think bright colours and playful, trendy silhouettes, which I admit is kind of silly since I’ve featured plenty of Aussie designers who don’t really fit that mold. I am not going to lie though when I say I was surprised by the relaxed maturity of the brother/sister duo designed Alpha60. Maybe it’s my age, but I find myself increasingly looking for clothing that doesn’t make me feel like some sort of youth trend victim. This label appeals to my old lady ( ha ha ) sensibilities with a lovely balance of structure, draping, and clever prints.
Bear with the annoying flash based website to check out their collections, and you can buy their pleated scarves off their online shop

Thanks to Estelle (great blog and she’s a jewelry designer too!) from One Perfect Morning for this stellar find. Many of you are probably familiar with Anna Sara Davik’s nail rings and gloves, since they’ve popped up quite a few times on various style related blogs. I know that’s how I was familiar with her, but it wasn’t until Estelle’s recent post that I discovered that she also creates stunningly beautiful, architectural clothing. The colours are neutral and the overall aesthetic minimal, but the shapes are so beautifully constructed that it’s impossible to be bored by the clothing. Her older collections play with layering and unusual cuts, and feel just as fresh four years later. There don’t appear to be any stockists for the clothing yet, but the designer plans to open a web shop sometime this year, and hopefully some expanded press will find her clothing carried in more shops as well. For now, enjoy the clothing posted on her site