The show opened in deep blue light. Then came the slow descent of a fluorescent square lowered from the rafters over the audience, like something taken from a Kubrick set. The feeling was all club in its rise in anticipation. Sydney was never going to house the Berghaim, but Afonia had the theatrics lined up all the same. There was a low hum building, an anticipation that something brilliant was going to begin. By the time the bass hit, the audience was already won over.

The Collection, titled Inter Duo, was built on the relationship between two ideas. Afonina took the clean discipline of nineties minimalism and collided it with futuristic possibility. On one side were narrow lines, technical nylons and effortless nonchalance. On the other were amplified silhouettes and sculptural textures pushed otherwise simple garments into something far more dramatic.

The palette and fabrication stood apart from the sea of neutrality that dominated much of the week. Ivory, black and navy sharpened the collection’s focus on form. Whether structured or relaxed, every look carried ease and desirability. A retro-inspired blazer pinched tightly at the waist in nylon made familiar tailoring feel newly sexy. A double silk organza ivory coat, buttoned high with a perfect collar, moved lightly over sheer tights. It captured the essence of Albus Lumen: elevated clothing that never slips into impracticality.