How do you assess the audience appreciation following a fashion show? Through the decibels of the applause (which is rather more of a golf clap at RAFW), by the frequency of appreciative nods or perhaps by stellar media reviews? After my week at RAFW I have developed a sure-fire method of assessing how well a collection has been received, and all it includes is visiting the ladies'  following a show. Works everytime, and dare I say, gives me some much needed material for writing reviews once all the show have meshed into one in my scrambled memory.

So if the reviews in the bathrooms following Tina Kalivas' show were anything to go by, I could easily deduce that the audience had got their waits worth (yes, the wait was exceptionally long for this one). The chatter through cubicle walls was nothing but glowing, and not without reason.

As the OPT showroom quickly filled up to capacity, sending the resident RAFW seating manager Miro into a bit of a spin, I had the sneaking suspicion that Tina Kalivas was about to deliver something quite extraordinary. The lights dimmed, purple strobe lights palpitated and bells tolled, and then a with one small push of the pendulum perched on the back wall the show began and the mood was set.

Tina Kalivas' collection delivered an impressive range of mainly dresses but some shorts, skirts and top esembles as well, all embellished with delightful detailing of tassels, frills, ruffles and lace and all things pretty and nice. The colour palette was a unlikely mix of grey, cream, champagne, green, pink, gold and red, though not even the pick-a-mix of colours could take away from the delight of the show. It truly was a joy to watch, and without being able to place my finger on it at the time there was something about the whole affair which seemed to be tugging on an old memory hidden in the nooks and crannies of my mind. It was only after leaving the show that it struck, there was something Alice in Wonderland-ish about her collection; a parallel I perhaps drew from the serene faced models with straigtened hair streaming down their backs and the unassuming girlish charm each piece. It was either that, or perhaps after five days at RAFW, I really was losing it.

Tina Kalivas has been designing for years and always won many accolades, but for some reason I had previously overlooked her design talent, not any more.

Check out the gallery here