JASONGRECH Spring Summer Collection 2015/16

Jason Grech designs from his heart. “Anything I’m feeling I just draw. I think it’s a bit like being a songwriter, you know?” At the moment his heart seems to be unabashedly singing love songs. The designer has returned to unadulterated romance on the back of his last, far moodier collection dubbed ‘Birds of Prey’. Jason explains, “Birds of Prey was really hard, really dark, really strong… I was in a place where I just needed to get power, whereas this collection is romantic and a lot softer. It still has hard elements but it’s quite soft at the same time.”

The new bridal collection was presented amid a fantasy backdrop in JASONGRECH‘s white-washed North Melbourne studio. A princess theme was dreamed up by renowned Melbourne florist Liz Ricci of Flower Temple out of her new events concept company StyleLuxe.

Upon ducking through a small hatch into the studio, guests were greeted with a melting tableau of perfectly ripe cheeses by Milk the Cow and glasses of dark ruby Tempranillo. To one side, Pure Chica had set up a pop-up powder room complete with Flower Temple blooms, flickering candles, a bathroom attendant and other little luxuries. An additional touch of bespoke sweetness was found in Treats for Evie‘s miniature sponge cakes adorned with flowers both real and spun from sugar, scented fairy floss and petite, gilded donuts.

The collection itself was hidden behind paper doors, dramatically torn down by guests at the critical moment. JASONGRECH brides were posed on swings dangling from the rafters, halfway up ladders, seated on a stairway of roses and atop a horse sculpture. While theatrical, the presentation still retained personal touches. A porch swing, once striped green, was sourced from Jason’s parents’ patio and sprayed gold, while the golden horse was part of a Victorian Racing Club charity exhibition the designer took part in years ago. The equine ‘Goldie’ now resides in his office. Jason also called in a little help from his friends, borrowing Richard Nylon’s fantastical cloud-like shoulder pieces and regal crowns and tiaras by Jeanette Maree.

Jason intends the first full bridal collection he has created as sole director to be an expression of who he is – “the collection’s a little bit different. It’s a bit more couture and it’s a lot more delicate”. Expect ball gowns, French lace, JASONGRECH’s flowing skirts and touches of rose gold in exposed zippers, studs and foiling. This year the designer takes his craftsmanship up a notch. The collection’s hero dress took over 300 hours of work by a small army of people with the skirt held in place by a constellation of metallic studs rather than stitching. Rather than dip-dye, layers upon layers (upon layers) of tulle provided an ombré effect. “It started off basic and got bigger and bigger and bigger as we went along!”

Jason’s Spring Summer 2015/16 bridal collection envisions a fairy tale for modern-day Cinderellas. “I just got carried away with women wanting to be a princess. What’s happened lately is that lots of princesses have been married; people want to be that. I think it’s every girl’s dream.” We might just get carried away right along with him.