Drawing inspiration from hiking in the wilderness—the Routeburn, to be precise—Kate Sylvester’s summer 2010 collection was en route to adventure and discovery.
While the clothing was all gorgeous and very wearable, the accessories were what we were all crowing about. Explorer backpacks glowed vibrantly in primary coloured silks, and Doc Marten boots were customized with car paint in matte blue, red, green and yellow, and glossy grey. Fimo toy necklaces displayed the trophies of prehistoric excursions in the form of dinosaur teeth and mini bones. The most “statement” accessories, however, were Sylvester’s many different takes on the tramping gaiter. The gaiters were long, short, in modern Macpac style, and in raw linen army chap form. Also in raw linen were full brim explorer hats, perfect for fighting off those summer rays. As for the menswear, expect your boyfriends to all be sporting dinosaur motifs this summer.—Bronwyn Williams