In this drama mini-series, a talented fashion designer returns to Australia from the United States to build an empire, only to face legal battles and professional sabotage from bitter rivals. A glossy and unashamedly melodramatic mini-series that arrived at the tail end of the eighties boom for high-fashion soaps. Borrowing the shoulder pads and sharp-tongued rivalry of American imports, it leans heavily into the tropes of the genre with its tales of stolen designs and boardroom betrayal.
While the script is hardly subtle and the plotting is often breathlessly paced, there is a certain campy energy to the proceedings that keeps it watchable. The inclusion of American actors Heather Thomas and James Healey was a clear attempt to court international sales, though the local supporting cast, including Rowena Wallace, often steals the show. It is a loud, colorful relic of its time.
Production Details
Australia / Seven Network - Flair TV, Film Victoria / 2x120 Minute Episodes / 1990
Writers: Alan Hopgood
Directors: Henri Safran
Producer: Paul Davies
Music: Frank Strangio
Main Cast
Heather Thomas as Tessa Clarke
Andrew Clarke as Philip Harmon
James Healey as Chris Drake
Rowena Wallace as Pamela Winter-Smith
Joseph Bottoms as Matthew Lee
Imogen Annesley as Sally Clarke
Charles "Bud" Tingwell as Bert Clarke