Fashionable Ipswich

Published 2011 | By Ellen-Marie Elliot

Looking for something one-of-a-kind, quirky, handmade or vintage?

You might be surprised to find out Ipswich is well on the way to being a go-to destination for these delicious morsels.

The city, about and hour’s drive south-west of Brisbane, just held its inaugural Ipswich Fashion Festival, an event one Brisbane designer was excited to show at.

Sam Argyrou’s West End-based, high end fashion label SARVA was the closing act for Ipswich Fashion Festival’s finale.

Argyrou has shown his collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival and Melbourne Fashion Week, said his label was about being different and creative.

He said the theme of the “Vintage Carnivale” was executed well, especially with the help of the events Mistress of Ceremonies.

“The Ring Lady was amazing! They pulled off the carnival feel so really well,” he said.

“It was fun. Fashion parades are supposed to be fun.”

Fellow designer and co-ordinator of Ipswich Fashion Festival Lousia Janke said the theme “Vintage Carnivale” was a natural choice.

“It’s my personal passion, my brand is ‘Vintage by LouLou’, but also it’s something very timely at the moment. It’s not just a local thing. It’s not just an Australian thing. It’s a worldwide thing,” she said.

But it wasn’t just about putting vintage clothes and accessories on display.

“There are some designers here you wouldn’t typically associate with vintage, but it’s just great to give all these designers a chance to show their designs,” she said.

Former QUT Fashion student Rachel Tilbury was one fledgling designer who was delighted to show off her label, Archella, which she started earlier this year.

“It’s feminine, vintage inspired, with a focus on quality and longevity,” she said.

Janke said her city was starting to bloom and welcome new creative ventures and people.

“There’s definitely a hub of creativity here,” she said.

“I think people who’ve come to Ipswich from outside have seen what’s happening around the world and wanted to bring that here, but also, because we can get online and check out what’s happening in the world we can see want a bit of that too.”

Photography by Jemma Gorring