In the midst of applying to study abroad programs, I highly considered Australia simply because of Fashion Week Australia, one of the four Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks along with New York, Berlin, and Istanbul.  When I say that MBFWA is a reason to study abroad in Australia, I am only half-joking.  In a sense, MBFWA embodies the inherent effortless and fun approach to aesthetics and style that the Australian fashion sphere has.  Without as much of the overhype of NYFW, MBFWA is refreshing and a space where fashion exists as its own entity.

In early April, the fashion industry gathered in Sydney to witness the likes of established talent such as Dion Lee and Zimmerman.  Yet in addition to the usual stars, a few new designers made debuts with new silhouettes, sleek minimalism, and fresh prints—all of which are a testament to modernity.  
Having only just graduated in 2012 yet already earning praise from Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, prodigy Leroy Nguyen impressed yet again with his collection Blue Rose—a juxtaposition of the starkness of cities against the innate desire for nature.  The result?  Masculine lines and shapes paired with feminine hues that reflect the balance and tension between the city and nature.  
Alongside the rising successes of the runways, the Aussie street style game this month proved to be innovative and quirky, as per usual.  From unexpected color pairings to unconventional layering, bloggers and editors alike provided for inspiration off the runways.  Take bloggers Zanita Whittington and Jessica Stein for instance, who both managed to pull off pale pink in very different ways, all the while retaining some hardness that offsets the girlishness of the color.