Wednesday, as the so-called ‘hump day’, is usually the day everybody just wants to get over and done with in order to hurry up and get to the better half of the week. However, Wednesday at this year’s L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival saw the presentation of Runway Five and the work of eight labels (and one renowned Melbourne boutique), many of which like to work in a fashion realm that is a touch edgier, and a little more left-of-centre.

Antipodium’s collection was black, white and red all over. They presented a few variations on the shirt or jacket dress – one high-necked, sleeveless number had the playful addition of a black pussybow at the neck, yet managed not to be overly fussy. Others, including boxier, double-breasted styles and a more traditional take on the shirtdress, were usually reined in with clear plastic belts. But it was an ingeniously cut, cropped little black jacket, with just a peek of the flame red lining inside and button details, that was the eye-catching piece.

Rob Maniscalco from the Claude Maus label experimented with layers and draped fabric in his runway offerings. Several incarnations of the leather jacket were on offer, with a men’s version lined in dark, grungy plaid. Lightweight, often sheer knits also made an impact. A favourite piece was a long wintry dress with threaded detailing on the top and butterfly sleeves.

The Cose Ipanema boutique presented monochromatic designs from Comme des Garçons to an intrigued audience. A marginally oversized suit jacket with studded panels at the front stood out for men, as did a luxuriously heavy velvet overcoat. The women’s ensembles were a mesh of textures – lace, satin, torn holes and three-dimensional patterns pulled together in black and white by models with sheer white veils covering their faces.

The Jessie Hill collection presented us with an alternative to the season’s star motif with another spacey logo, instead using a moon detail on knits. One of the floaty, barely-structured black dresses featuring the crescent figure went a bit witchy on us. The Kate Bush-inspired collection featured slouchy tees emblazoned with the artist’s name, a comically peaked dunce hat and, naturally, a Kate Bush soundtrack.

Becoming a force in the local and international fashion scene, Karen Walker displayed a mix of ideas. From dark florals to leather trench coats to little red dresses, the designer certainly mixed things up. One olive green frilled frock featured oversized cream polka dots and reminded me of a beloved party dress I had when I was a little girl in the 80s, while Walker’s frilled rosette-influenced neckline on a red smock dress was first class.

Materialbyproduct was clearly inspired by nature in this year’s collection. The range heavily featured the use of an original bark-like printed fabric in earthy hues. Golden wood grain printed dresses were embellished with heavy beading in what seemed to be a close-to-literal translation of the organic growths real trees sometime support. Aboriginal dot art paintings seemed to be another back-to-earth influence, with the white spots contrasting against dark fabrics.

Black and blue was the order of the day for Nom*d. Relaxed long shirts, heavy metal accent on boots, belt and buckles, as well as the dark sheen of satin were also made features in their parade. The highlight was a simple knit dress with a diamond print argyle-style skirt, paired with stomping boots and a cropped suit jacket.

Not afraid to stand out from the crowd, Zambesi put a high-shine metallic silver men’s suit on display. Women also received the silver-lining treatment with a couple of futuristic silver ensembles, one with an orbital skirt that the likes of Jane Jetson might one day own. On the whole, the collection was more subdued; a pleated under-the-knee skirt was paired with an interesting lace fringed top, while flannelette plaid made another appearance on skirts and leggings.

With a vast array of distinct labels showing, Runway Five showed the crowd that the unconventional can still be highly successful and find their own comfortable niche.

PHOTO GALLERY: L'Oreal Paris Runway Show 5