Fashion Exposed held a intimate launch party presented by Streetlab at Cargo Bar in Sydney last Thursday night. The fashion trade fair opened up its doors on Sunday and presented a larger scale event this time around with a venue packed with over 500 exhibitors and fashion designers. Exhausted from a day of runway shows, live lookbooks and hidden gems, we always enjoy discovering The Debut participants.

Winner of the Accessories category at the Debut, Sydney-based designer Sara Smeath has come a long way from rural New Zealand. Inspired by her grandmother’s forever sewing, knitting or designing garments, she pursued a Diploma in Fashion and a Bachelor of Design with Honours. She was early awarded with Air New Zealand Inspiring New Zealanders scholarship assisting Kiwi designer Karen Walker in preparation for her annual New York showcase.

Smeath’s Lost not Lonely 36 piece collection, Lower Valley Locals, is inspired by spending time around the 50-year-old family trucking business with dust, diesel and dirty trucks as the backdrop. The women’s fashion collection features accessories, handbags and shoes across a colour palette of black and white tones with basic browns and greys. All products are made in leather using a mixture of soft leathers with thick metal chains.

We look forward to see all debutantes break through the big smoke!

Photo gallery of Lost Not Lonely, Debut at Fashion Exposed 2009

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