Fashion and art collide at Freo Prison
High fashion and edgy art will collide at the historic Fremantle Prison this week, with three WA designers set to collaborate with local and international artists as part of the Caged runway exhibit.
Seth Cray, Natalie Donovan and Sophia Jalla will be showing pieces from their new spring/summer collections on the runway, which will be set up against the backdrop of eerie prison cells flanked by edgy, tattoo- themed artworks.
Donovan, who launched her label Wild.Horses two years ago and will show at both the Perth Fashion Festival and International Fashion Week in Queensland next month, said she was honoured to have been approached to be a part of the local fashion event.
"I didn't realise how big it was going to get," she said. "But I just wanted to showcase my new line at this show."
Jalla was also excited to be showing her rising label Rosie & Broken at Caged, having previously shown at Perth Fashion Festival.
The burgeoning designer was inspired to launch the label four years ago where she began to design her own outfits to wear out on the weekend.
"I started sewing with a girlfriend, making outfits that we could go out in," she said. "Then, almost every weekend, people would be like 'Can you make one for me', and then we said 'Why not'. And then it started from there.
"I've only been doing it full-time for about a year-and-a-half now."
For Cray, who is yet to complete his honours in art and design at Curtin University, showcasing pieces from his eponymous label at Caged will mark his biggest runway showing.
"There'll be a lot more attention to my work because at my graduation show there was, like, 20 other designers, so you kind of get lost in the crowd," he said.
"I made this collection in just two weeks."
Perth artist Shane Hughes, who also goes by the creative alias "I'm the Boss", said putting his artwork on show for Caged was a rare opportunity considering most of his work had sold out before he got the chance to exhibit his pieces.
"It's good to sell my work but it's important to also have a show," he said.
Caged will kick off on Thursday from 7.30pm at Fremantle Prison. Tickets cost $39 and are available from ticketbooth.com.au.
