'Flora' by Rockstars and Royalty + An Interview with Designer Vicky Kidd-Gallichan

Exquisite fashion label Rockstars and Royalty was created in 2007 by Designer Vicky Kidd-Gallichan. With over 15 years experience in the fashion industry, Vicky has a strong passion for designing exceptionally beautiful corsets and gowns.

Vicky's label, Rockstars and Royalty, will be showcased at this weekend's FASHFEST in Canberra and in the lead-up to this major fashion event, Vicky worked with a number of other talented creatives to bring her 'Flora' photo shoot vision to life.

We're stoked to be able to bring you these incredibly beautiful images, featuring a one-off gown created by Vicky which includes an array of real blooms - Stunning! You'll also be pleased to know that we have an exclusive interview with the spectacular Designer below, where she delves into her inspiration, design process and latest projects:

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Q: We’ve had the pleasure of featuring some of your gorgeous designs in our magazine before so are very excited to find out more about your label! What first inspired you to create Rockstars and Royalty?A: I created Rockstars and Royalty when I moved to Australia in 2007. I'd been making gowns and corsets in the UK before the move, under the name Devotion, and the move was the perfect time to re-brand and concentrate on just making the gowns in the styles that I really enjoyed designing. I had the name picked out before I even moved. Rockstars and Royalty was the perfect name as it includes both my big, princess gowns and my darker, more edgy gowns.

Q: How would you describe your fashion label in just three words?A: Feminine, strong, flattering.

Q: We love your new collection ‘Cherries in the Snow’. What was the inspiration behind this stunning body of work?A: 'Cherries in the Snow’ was inspired by the name of a Revlon lipstick that they've been making since the 1950s. The name gave me my colour palette for the collection. It goes from whites and white crystals for the snow, through to pinks and reds and deep reds for the cherries. I've also included lots of feathery wraps to give the collection a wintery feel. The fact that the lipstick was first made in the 50s has given me inspiration for the silhouettes for the gowns. I'm also collaborating with a florist for this collection. Fionna from Peony n Pearl is incredibly creative with flowers and she'll be adding flowers to the gowns and creating flower hair pieces and accessories for the catwalk. She loves that idea of combining the wintery snow influence with the cherries that are a summer fruit. She'll be using berries and flowers. I can't wait to see it all come together at Fashfest.

Q: The series of images you’ve shared with us today are incredibly beautiful. Please tell us about the experience you had whilst working on this photo shoot?A: The idea for creating the flower gown came about after Fionna and I decided to collaborate for Fashfest. We decided to create a gown that was nothing to do with the collection as a teaser and to show everyone what we could create when we worked together. Because Fionna used so many fresh flowers on the gown it had to be finished as close as possible to the shoot. She even brought flowers with her to the location and was still adding them as I was dressing the model. Our model and the hair and make up artists for the shoot are all involved in Fashfest too, so it was great seeing how well everyone worked together to make the look for the shoot come together. It's going to be fantastic to work together again at Fashfest. The photographer was Leighton Hutchinson, who is the official photographer for Fashfest. I've done shoots with him for the previous two Fashfests and I love his style and the way he uses colour, so he was the perfect choice for this shoot. Our location was Lucky's Speakeasy at the QT Hotel which has an amazing 20s vibe to it and suited the look we were going for perfectly. Fionna even managed to restyle their hotdog cart as a flowersellers cart using bowls, jugs and cups that she found in the the bar. The staff were very accommodating as we rearranged it all! I usually work alone so I really enjoyed working and designing with Fionna and having someone to bounce ideas off. We were both very proud of how the dress turned out and can't wait to do it all again at Fashfest.

Q: What do you hope to achieve with your label in the not-too-distant future; Do you have any upcoming, exciting plans that you would like to share with us?A: As soon as Fashfest is done I'll be back to working on wedding dresses for my winter and spring bridal clients. The next big thing for me is that I'm off to the UK in August for my best friend’s wedding. I'll have two weeks to make her gown once I arrive. We've been planning for months and I've been posting fabric samples to her and we've been Skyping a lot too. Pinterest has been a big help as well. As far as my label goes, I'm very happy with where I am. I work from my home and have enough orders to keep me busy, but also enough time to spend with my family. That work / life balance and being happy is what success looks like to me.

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You can view more amazing designs by Vicky over on her website. You can also follow Rockstars and Royalty on Facebook and Instagram. You can also find out more information about Canberra's FASHFEST here and you can purchase tickets at this link. Enjoy!

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Full credits: Designer: Vicky Kidd-Gallichan, Rockstars and Royalty | Floral designer: Fionna Tamin, Peony n Pearl | Model: Hannah Miners | Makeup: Katie Saarikko | Hair: Tanya Lancaster and THEhairdressing | Location: Lucky’s at QT | Photographer: Leighton Hutchinson | Behind the scenes photographer: Samuel Broomby