Melbourne Fashion Week's first runway show opened with a display of synchronised swimming and summer fashion, to the sound of music celebrating the sun.
The only problem was the weather - 15C and cloudy.
But the chill did not stop a crowd of the city's fashionistas, champagne flutes in hand, taking their seats for the sold-out runway show on the pool deck at Le Méridien Hotel.
Local DJ Soju Gang played as four women stepped onto the deck in bikinis and nose clips - not models, but synchronised swimmers, jumping into the hotel pool for a display of their skills as the show began with Liandra's swim collection.
Models walked a lap around the pool for Kristy Barber's Melbourne slow fashion label Kuwaii, showing off warm peachy linens and monochrome maxi dresses.
Then Dom Bagnato showed waistcoated suits in greys and blues, while Aisha Ellén Garments stuck with black and white maxi dresses and pyjama dressing with kimono-style tops.
Forget stylistic innovation, here was a runway of clothes people could wear, modelled by people of diverse ages, sizes, shapes and colours.
The standout outfit for Melbourne label búl was black split leg pants paired with a white tube top, while Social Studio featured panelled print garments, a stretch dress with external overlocking, and most notably a pants for men with an angled sheer panel that made them almost into a skirt.
Perhaps one clear trend given the broader economic environment for the industry is that the most cutting edge outfits could be found in the crowd rather than on the runway.
Sydney fashion student Berniece Andrews, 23, ran up a layered mini-dress in neon yellow green netting on Saturday (four hours of sewing) before travelling to Melbourne to take in the week of shows.
"I love Commonry, their designs were my sort of vibe, they looked amazing," she told AAP.
And if the overcast weather was not what Fashion Week organisers had been hoping for, it was glorious lighting for taking selfies.
Melbourne Fashion Week runs until Sunday.
