Opening with a body con dress in black with a bold white feature its only oddity, my first thought at Friedrich Gray's Rosemount Australian Fashion Week parade is that designer Ben Pollitt might be taking his breakout label in a new direction. Indeed, Friedrich Gray seems more mature, more refined, than last time we saw this darling of the Australian fashion scene. Moving away from its signature 'children of the night' style to something cleaner and more refined, it looks like Friedrich Gray is facing the gauntlet and growing up for Spring/Summer 2011. Indeed, there were hints of this new wisdom backstage before the show, as casually clothed models showed off translucent makeup, futuristic metallic nail-polish and shining, slicked back hair.

Don't get my wrong- the auter was still apparent as models marched down the runway. From asymmetry,  diagonal zippers and juxtaposed hard and soft materials, the signature Friedrich Gray elements were still there in abundance. Built on a palette of strong black and white, the clothes- digital print free- were left to speak for themselves. And speak they did. Key pieces included leather skirts and jackets featuring panelling reminiscent of refracted light.