AFW: Hats Off At Rory William Docherty’s Grand Debut
‘Love Collateral’ marks the New Zealand designer's arrival
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)
Since his triumphant debut at New Zealand Fashion Week last August, the world has been waiting with bated breath for Rory William Docherty’s next move. With the world at his fingertips, the Kiwi prodigy hit another major milestone today with his first time showing at Australian Fashion Week.
Presenting his Resort 2025 show, titled ‘Love Collateral’, at Sydney’s hallowed Carriageoworks, the designer delivered an opus of 35 looks that both asserted his poetic vision for an unfamiliar audience while also pushing his perspective forward. Fans of Docherty will have delighted in recurring motifs like the fez-style suede caps, melancholic florals, reworked denim and billowy silhouettes, while the collection featured plenty to demonstrate his label’s progressing direction.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)
Throughout the show, Docherty’s unique brand of experimental minimalism and meticulous artistry saw fresh pops of metallic foil thrown into the mix, courtesy of patchwork, accessories and a structural midi dress to close the show—the light-reflecting colours buoyed by crisp white blouses and sheer floral prints.
Already establishing himself as a master of texture, Docherty also highlighted crushed Japanese silks that donned the designer’s hand-drawn paintings, drawing inspiration from a love of nature and art. Voluminous dresses and diaphanous separates walked seamlessly alongside oversized outerwear in lightweight fabrications, seasonless knitwear and faultless tailoring that boasted an almost 1930s feel—polished with a relaxed elegance. Individually, pieces made a big impact with the level of technique behind them but were styled on the runway with nonchalant ease.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)
“This collection is a continuation of my previous designs. Guests will notice we have repurposed old offcuts from previous designs and fabrications, repurposed and given a new life to these reimagined designs,” said Docherty of the collection. “This collection is particularly special and has been years in the making. To see it come to life and be celebrated has brought a huge wave of emotions.”
On the glam front, beauty maestros Paloma Garcia and Linda Jeffereys lent their expertise to amplify Docherty’s vision. Models’ hair was coaxed into punk-ish low ponytails, while Jeffereys’ makeup looks included a muted berry lip stain, angelic skin, and silver details adorning eyes.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)
A testament to the enduring allure of craftsmanship, Rory William Docherty’s eponymous label has quickly established itself as a fresh voice in fashion, defying fleeting trends and sparing no detail. And though many talents in fashion may burn bright and quick, Docherty’s debut proves he’s no novice, producing a brand informed by the kind of balance and tact that’ll see it succeed long beyond the newcomer shine.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: A model walks the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 13: Models walk the runway during the Rory William Docherty show during Australian Fashion Week Presented By Pandora 2024 at Carriageworks on May 13, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images for AFW)
