Garth Cook is fast becoming Australia’s favourite fashion debutant. Showing for the first time at RAFW, Cook’s collection, ‘Amorphous Geometrics’ bowed to unanimous acclaim. But what makes a young designer such a hot talking point? Perhaps it is that divide between directional design and wearability that Cook has so easily bridged with his first runway effort. That element that at times can be so unattainable- a shrieking reference to avant garde that is humbled by easy incorporation to the average wardrobe- has been Cook’s most winning characteristic.

First picking up a sketch book as a teenager, Garth Cook’s passion is irrepressible, and it show in his intelligent designs. Mixing styles and textures and emerging in a void where trends become useless and timeless elegance and interesting shapes reign, it’s hard not to sing the praises of this fledgling designer. From his experience at Marios Schwab and Husam el Odeh, Cook’s work speaks volumes of a life immersed in, and dedicated to, the preservation of fashion as an art form.

Influenced by Myan and American Indian dress, Cook’s summer range focuses on depth and softness, rather than a literal translation of the two cultures. Key pieces from the collection include sheer structured tops, mustard dresses with raised architectural lines through them and draped skirts.