Three moons, glowing softly like on a clear night, greeted guests as they walked into Romance Was Born’s resort 2025 show. Designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales have often explored fantasy lands and utopias, and did so again this season, inspired by the work of indigenous Australian artist Zaachariaha Fielding. “He’s super positive and really tries to bring everyone together with his work,” Plunkett said backstage. “We have never worked with an indigenous artist before. This year we had one referendum [to constitutionally recognize the rights of Indigenous people that didn’t pass]and we just felt like now more than ever was the right time to do it.
The designers met Fielding through mutual friends a few years ago and were happy to discover that he was a fan of their label. Their collaboration resulted in some of the most special pieces from the collection, each different from the others. A cropped jacket with oversized sculptural shoulders had some of Fielding’s paintings strategically placed to follow the silhouette. It was paired with white polka dot trousers for an ’80s Lacroix look. Elsewhere, a neon green off-the-shoulder ball gown featured a similar print – inflated to match the volume of the dress – intricately embellished with sequins and beads. On chiffon caftans, Fielding’s paintings were the ultimate expression of a bohemian goddess, although, because this was Romance Was Born, they combined retro sneakers and tiny socks.
The inspiration for the rest of the show came from classic science films from the 1980s Blade Runner, The lost boysAnd The story without end (they called the collection ‘the nothingness’, the destructive force in the film that takes away the ability of living things to dream and hope for the future). It was evident in details like the aforementioned polka-dot fabrics and their experiments with deconstructed bomber jackets—particularly dresses made from split bomber bodices and intricately embroidered lace, or a shrug with balloon sleeves made with multicolored patchwork squares sourced from old jackets. designers found on eBay.
Most notable were the pieces that captured Sales and Plunkett’s dream world while remaining grounded in real life. Gray wool tailored coats and structured shirts had a slightly retro-futuristic feel, and beaded lace tunics, worn with acid-washed peg-leg jeans or similarly embellished trousers, had clear multi-generational appeal.
