Telstra Perth Fashion Festival

Philippine couturier Michael Cinco and Indonesian designer Sebastian Gunawan were in Perth for tonight’s opening show before 600 guests, who included TV personality Dannii Minogue, at the Perth Concert Hall.

A big contingent of wealthy Asian guests including the head of the Asian FIDe’ fashion weeks, Frank Cintamani, and his colleague from the Asian Couture Federation, Emily Hwang, have also flown in for the festival and were sitting front row.

Adding an air of mystery was Paris based American fashion blogger Diane Pernet who is known for her strange garb which includes a Spanish mantilla and whose website A Shaded View of Fashion has a cult following.

Models walked the catwalk in outfits worth thousands of dollars each for the opening night spectacle.

Cinco, whose designs have been worn by stars including Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara, singer Rhianna and burlesque queen Dita Von Teese, said the collection he debuted in Australia was young, trendy, light and feminine but still "very couture and opulent".

He said the 20 piece collection was inspired by the character of Eliza Doolittle, the Cockney flower girl, from the musical My Fair Lady.

"The theme is all about the spring blooms," he said. "It’s all about the flowers, the roses, the daffodils."

Asked how much work goes into each of his garments he said: "Oh please don’t ask me. It takes blood (nose bleeds), sweat and tears before I can finish a couture dress."

Gunawan developed a special collection for TPFF, the first time his designs have also been showcased in Australia. He said the 25 piece collection he brought to Australia has a floral inspiration in 1970s paintings of flowers.

WA designer Fernandez debuted a new 23 piece couture collection. Fernandez was born in Singapore but moved to Perth as a child and is a red carpet favourite with Australian celebrities, WAGs and socialites.

The face of this year’s festival, model Caitlin Lomax, opened Fernandez’s section of the show in a long sheer ivory cape dress.

Fernandez said he was in good company.

"I’ve seen some of their work (Cinco and Gunawan’s) and it’s absolutely stunning," he said before the show. "It puts the pressure on!"

Aside from Minogue, the front row was packed with other local, national and international VIPs. They included two of New Zealand’s top designers, sisters Liz Findlay (Zambesi) and Margi Robertson (Nom*d) whose own labels will feature on the runway tomorrow night.

Others with the much coveted front row pews included representatives from Vogue Australia and The Australian, premier Colin Barnett and his son Sam Barnett.

This year marks the first year of an alliance between TPFF and Mr Cintamani’s FIDe’ fashion weeks, which are aiming to turn the Asia Pacific into a fashion force to rival Europe and the US.

Fernandez said any opportunity for WA to showcase its talent was a good one.

Many of Cinco and Gunawan’s designs were flown into Perth last week ahead of tonight’s launch, but some were flown in with the designers who arrived on Sunday.

The price tags of the elaborate frocks were not revealed. Organisers would only say that the designs were worth in the high thousands of dollars.

At the other end of the scale, Minogue’s new budget line for Target — Dannii Minogue pelites — will hit the runway at Fashion Central in Forrest Place on Saturday. Singer Samantha Jade will perform at the daytime event.

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