Karla Spetic picks up where the great tradition of Australian open road culture leaves off. Think Mad Max or Priscilla- those icons of Australian popular culture whose eternal restlessness leads them into the uncertain void of the wide beyond on a never ending story of displaced wandering. Karla Spetic's run away is unique; romantic, haunted and freedom seeking. She's unsatisfied with something- or everything- whatever it is, she can't quite put her finger on it, and yet it looms, a constant blight keeping her in a state of constant unease. She wants to be as free as the wind around her, as boundless as the sky above her and as encompassing as the earth beneath her feet- and so here she is, lighting out for the territory.

Using imagery of the outback throughout the collection, adorning skirts, tops and statement blazers, Karla Spetic succeeded where so many other designers failed in their runway performances; instead of trying to evoke a mood, Karla Spetic just did. Backstage before the show, all I could see was pretty silken clothes that I 'oh-mi-god-just-have-to-have', but outside, on the runway, once the crowd fell silent, the music began and the models paced up and down the runway, all I knew was the racing in my heart and the desire that filled me- to be as wild and free as the Karla Spetic girl longed to be. 

All the signature Karla Spetic tropes remained- the crafty cutouts, unorthodox necklines and sorbet colours offset with black- but the collection was softer, less angular and architectural than the previous winter range. Clogs and desert boots in pastel shades added an extra dimension to the Karla Spetic repertoire, while high waisted bikinis and one piece swimsuits held true to the tradition of Australian summer without degrading the collection. An arresting pantsuit in teal stood out as a must have, along with sheer dresses in fairy floss pink and black embellished with patterns that somehow invoked the spirit of ancient outback cave paintings.