'Everyone said, ‘They’ve broken into the industry.’ We weren’t done yet ... I wanted to do something that Australia’s never seen before.'
Iordanes Spyridon Gogos x Powerhouse is included in the 2022 Australian Fashion Week.
For this presentation, the label joined forces with more than 50 individuals and institutions working across a range of disciplines, extending beyond fashion pioneers to include architects, musicians, florists, students and more to create the collection for the runway.
The Powerhouse workshop team collaborated with ISG to realise the vibrant ‘deconstructed castle’ runway. Artistic direction was led by Benn Hamilton, set design by Max Rixon and spatial design by Tayarch Design Studio, all mainstay ISG collaborators who worked with the Powerhouse team to create more than 15 sculptural works along with painted banners, set pieces and wearable art objects.
More than 1,000 hours of labour over five weeks and 123 litres of fluorescent paint, including much reused from previous exhibition projects, went into the collaboration. The full breadth of the workshop team’s skills and experience was showcased, from entry-level to experienced artisans and tradespeople with 30 years of experience across metal, timber and scenic work, plus drawing and 3D modelling.
The Powerhouse workshop were amongst 60 Australian and international collaborators from the creative industries engaged to realise 33 singular looks for the runway show. One stand-out was a steel ‘tubular vest’ designed by Benn Hamilton and crafted by the Powerhouse workshop, which housed a floral arrangement by the Colour Blind Florist Benjamin Avery. The workshop also collaborated on NYC-based artist Patrick Church’s sculptural look.
