Toni Matičevski ( mk, Тони Матичевски) (1976) is a

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

-based

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

fashion designer. Matičevski's parents migrated from the then non-independent

Republic of Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...

when it was still part of

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

. He grew up in Seddon, an inner-Western suburb of Melbourne with a sizeable Macedonian community. Matičevski studied fashion at RMIT University graduating with First Class Honours. After graduating he won a Fashion Group International Award resulting in a placement with

Donna Karan Donna Karan (, born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as "DK", is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. Early life Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabin ...

in New York. Matičevski turned down an extended position at Donna Karan, deeming the power house creatively draining. Matičevski left for Paris to work two seasons at Cerruti. Matičevski returned to Melbourne in 1998 to launch his own label. In 2002, Matičevski won ''Best New Designer'' at the L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival with his debut demi-couture collection. The same year saw his preliminary participation in the

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

Australian Fashion Week spring and summer collections. In 2005 he tied with Kit Willow for the

Prix de Marie Claire Prix was an American power pop band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1975 by Tommy Hoehn and Jon Tiven. The group ended up primarily as a studio project. Its recordings were produced by Tiven along with former Big Star member Chris Bell, who als ...

''Best New Designer'' award. Matičevski designs emotively, rejecting the norm to create such designs as his elegantly skeletal

dresses A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment traditionally worn by women or girls consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). It consists of a top piece that covers ...

, held together (or to hold you together) with a bondage system of raw edged

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

straps. These ‘nonchalantly needy’ dresses result in the wearer appearing like an intricately tied up cloud. Each season Matičevski recreates his elaborate gowns in different styles and materials while retaining a similar

silhouette A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...

. Matičevski has recently added a men's line to his label with fluid draping neutral

jackets A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which ...

and

trousers Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and ...

Exhibitions

In 2016, a major exhibition of Matičevski's work is being held at the Bendigo Art Gallery. "Selected objects will be presented to illustrate the evolution of Toni Maticevski’s oeuvre, exploring his early influences through to his inspiration and recurrent themes in his current practice."

References

External links

Official Toni Maticevski site
*
Toni Maticevski
at ''Vogue'' Australia * 1977 births Living people People from Melbourne Australian fashion designers Australian company founders Australian people of Macedonian descent Helpmann Award winners RMIT University alumni {{Fashion-bio-stub