After a multiyear hiatus, Lee Mathews has brought her effortless clothing back to Sydney Fashion Week—and what a welcome return it is. Mathews is one of Australia’s most sophisticated designers, whose collections, year in and out, offer timeless pieces that can build out a woman’s wardrobe. For Resort, Mathews brought an outdoorsy, utilitarian spirit to her collection, sending out ideas as disparate as a khaki overalls dress and a delicate sheer floral number. Flat sandals and sun hats kept it all together, establishing the Lee Mathews woman as someone enjoying all the perks the outdoors has to offer.
Among the many highs of the season are Mathews’s numerous bright white pieces, from a strictly tailored shirt to a pouf-sleeved dress that could serve as a wedding gown for a truly modern bride. Girlier clients might reach for those translucent florals or an excellent spiced floral dress, while those with a more graphic sensibility will find lots to love in the gingham section of the show. With swim, suiting, and denim making up the rest of the collection, it’s safe to say that Mathews has re-established herself as one of Sydney fashion’s heaviest hitters.
