On day two of AAFW in sydney a couple of weeks back, guests filtered into a Carriageworks gallery space out of the rain, and onto a sand-like carpet, a secluded beach acting as the backdrop of Matteau's edition 2 show.

For the resort brand that has expanded its offering beyond swimwear and into crisp ready-to-wear, Matteau's designers, Peta Heinsen and Ilona Hamer, are awfully good at creating an atmosphere of warmth, relaxation, and ease within each move the brand makes.

For their last show, which was way back when in 2019, beautiful, floaty sundresses were a focal point. And while perfectly cut cotton dresses are still very much part of the brands DNA, this season was all about the staple separates. Tailored pants with turned-down waistbands were paired with slouchy button up shirts, cotton cargo pants were secured with forever belts – the kind we're hanging out to purchase – and asymmetric tops, while swimwear was paired with paper-bag pants and leather pouches that wrapped around the waist. As always, it was a wardrobe to take on holiday and then wear when you get home to cling onto what you have left of it.

Here, photographer Adrian Mesko captures the backstage energy of the Matteau Edition 2 show, which, despite the frenetic energy of all runway shows, felt surprisingly laid-back. Mood boards were posted for the models to get into the sleepy spirit of the collection, mantras reading "You are relaxed. You are warm. You are happy" giving an energetic rise to the mood of it all.

Below, see Mesko's full backstage diary from the Matteau Edition 2 show.