Ginger and Smart Become Anon

The ladies behind iconic Australian label Ginger & Smart are no strangers to dynamic design. With their Spring/Summer 2011/12 collection Anon, sisters Alexandra and Genevieve Smart have played on aesthetic opposites, resulting in a collection that contrasts masculine shapes with floaty feminine fabrics, abstract prints with pastels, and sculpted geometric shapes with free-flowing silhouettes. Featuring behind-the-scenes footage as well as a taste of the runway show, this Summer Collections video hints at what the savvy sisters are sending our way.

We caught up with Alexandra to discuss the brand new collection.

Portable: What is it like working with your sister?

Alexandra Smart: We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to work with each other, as sisters and as friends. We are able to support each other in the business and in our personal lives. When things get hectic and busy our favourite saying is “Divide and Conquer”. It’s amazing what we can achieve together.

How does the ‘Anon’ that we see in the runway video and pictures differ from your initial conception?

Anon, the film, captures the essence of this collection in a very moving way: the detail of the garments, the colours and movement of the models, the energy backstage. The collection was inspired by poetry and the beauty of words. This film is a poetic representation of the show.

What were you watching, reading and listening to when you worked on the collection?

We were reading Baudelaire and listening to Arvo Part and SBTRKT.

How would you describe this collection to someone who couldn’t see it?

Poetry conveys interpretations where words may mean different things to each of us. We love the way words can be presented in opposing and beautiful combinations; formal and informal; hard and soft; feminine and masculine; rhythmic and arrhythmic…creating combinations that challenge the way words bring images to life and transform moments.

In this collection we have worked with fabrics and textures in a 3D effect…designed to move and float while walking. Dresses ripple like the flipping pages of a book, while letters tumble down in a cascade of text.

What is your favorite piece from Anon?

Our favourite piece from the collection is the Euphony long skirt – it is cascade of silk that on closer inspection reveals silken letters.

What type of girl would you imagine would wear this collection?

Our girl is full of contrasts. She is at once a lover, business woman, mother, sister, friend… she is modern and chic and seeks out an individual expression of who she is.