One Mile Fashion Show @ Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2022
Welcome to How Sammy Robinson’s Two-Year-Old, Online-Only Brand Made Its Way To Australian Fashion Week.
https://onemilethelabel.com/
Sammy Robinson is used to having a lot of eyes on her, but that feeling was likely tenfold today, when her fashion label, One Mile made its debut at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2022.
While the weather was nothing short of gloomy, guests made their way from the rain-soaked streets into the quiet, upstairs oasis of Beta in Sydney's CBD. Unsurprisingly, her 653,000 Instagram followers couldn't all be there in support, but the room quickly found itself packed with fellow designers, media, friends and family.
Backstage, the vibes were high and the atmosphere electric, as models rushed to-and-fro getting their final touch ups before hitting the runway. Speaking of the runway, the design team decided to construct a wooden boardwalk complete with sand to emphasise the laid back, Australian ethos of the brand.
Then, as a few stray flecks of sand were swept away and everyone had found their seats, the show began to the tune of Groove Armada's Supertstylin'. Donna Summer's I Feel Love was the second song of choice, with the show closing out to Cutting Crew's Died In Your Arms.
An oversized silk shirt and matching trousers in a beautiful burnt dusk colour made for an eye-catching ensemble, while mesh skirts and tops felt like they belonged at a beachside bash, keeping in tune with the sandy backdrop. Floral prints were reminiscent of a Hawaiian holiday, seen on the bodies of plus-sized models and a male shirt/short combination.
Floaty silhouettes were expertly offset with minidress styles in deep ocean blues and mossy greens paying tribute to the natural landscape, with black and white designs in similar styles boasting a timeless appeal. Some models appeared in tan leather sandals, while others went entirely barefoot.
At the end, Robinson appeared for a mere moment to smile for the cameras and wave to the audience, wearing a chocolate brown floor-length dress. Heading back downstairs to celebrate with her team, the excitement in the air was physically palpable. ELLE Australia caught up with the influencer backstage, post-show to see how she was feeling after smashing one of her biggest milestones to date.
"I thought it would take me a little longer," Robinson said, when asked if she had anticipated making it to Fashion Week so early in her career.
"When the opportunity presented itself, we had the team and the support and the backing to get it done, so I thought, why not just jump straight in and see how it goes? I feel like we were prepared and capable. I'm so glad that we did it. We are so young and we just thrive off the challenges so it's like, what's next? New York? Milan?"
Given her stronghold in the influencer space, Robinson already had a solid fanbase who were keen to support her. The launch of One Mile, however, has seen her develop an entirely new fanbase - one who have a keen sense of style and a desire to nail the crossover between comfortability and chicness.
"I was very privileged to already have an amazing support network through social media, everyone was so supportive in the launch of my brand," Sammy explained, when asked how important it was for One Mile to stand on its own, separate to her influencer career.
"It was important to me that it wasn't a "one off launch" so I made sure I planned a year in advance so the brand would have timely drops, consistent launches, cohesive collections. This way we were able to retain our customer base and ultimately build it to be bigger than just an "influencer brand". I wanted it to be strong enough on its own that people came back, not just for me, but because they loved the product."