Each month we feature a new or emerging Australian designer. This month we meet the young Sydney designer behind the eponymous Leah Williams label. Story: Jacqueline Miholos
Leah’s Williams’ love for fashion began with her nan teaching her how to sew. It consolidated when she graduated from the Raffles College of Design and Commerce in 2014. “I was motivated to study fashion design because I love colour, texture and shape. Fashion gives me so much confidence and allows me to express myself in a way that words can’t achieve.”
Creating concepts that she then explores and transforms into a garment gives her a huge buzz. “I love seeing it come to life along with the emotional journey of creating something that was once only a concept.”
“You can’t have fashion without art. To me fashion is art”. Emotion, experiences, art and music all impact on Leah’s designs which are as different for each collection as the trigger that inspired them.
Abstract Artist Hans Arp, who recently exhibited at New York’s Museum of Modern Art has inspired the colour, print and textile manipulation for Leah’s new range. Her collection features a variety of appliqué textures and bold colours complimented with layering and a focus on unique silhouettes.
Leah Williams women are urban, feminine and edgy. They take trends with a tongue in their cheek. They’re strong, unapologetic, curious and fun. They have the power to make and create their own world. They’re “da” squad that never leaves their girl down and out. They exude the aura of the modern woman.
Since establishing her label late last year, the Leah Williams brand has grown quickly and is expanding into the Chinese market. The brand’s debut “Nebula Fall Collection” was picked up by a Hong Kong distributor in 2016 with Leah also showing the range at Shanghai Fashion Week and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week China.
Leah is planning to build a presence which will allow her to have a solo show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia in the next couple of years. “I want to keep challenging people’s perspectives on how the layering of geometric shapes and colours can create unexpected and infinite possibilities!”
Where to after that? This is one designer who knows exactly what she’s aiming for. A shop front, designing shoes and bags and creating a team to work with are all on her list. “I’d love to create a team that shares the same aesthetic and goals and who look to create designs that are unique. I want to establish a creative space that allows collaborations and builds a community for design and self-expression.”
NB: Leah also styled Cocktail Revolution’s top-voted street style favourite Julia Noh for Julia’s featured photo shoot.
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