Everything
Butter-soft suedes, rich wools, sumptuous silks amidst a familiar ruggedness delivered through utilitarian details – Melbourne-based brand Christian Kimber is a refreshing reminder of just how beautiful menswear can be.
The British-born Kimber showed his first official runway collection yesterday at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, complete with live band covering a slowed down, paired back rendition of Kylie’s ‘It’s In Your Eyes’, that highlighted how something as simple as a field jacket when crafted with the right materials and cut to perfection can be elevated into something elegant and luxurious.
Not just field jackets, but the casual ease of a knitted polo (Chris Evans’ PR, if you’re reading this, hit our man up), a thick, nubbly woven cardigan of wool and silk blend.
Trousers in both wool and cotton were given the Kimber signature high waist. Well, high in comparison to current trends but in fact the traditional position for pants to sit on the actual waist, not hips.
A colour palette that embraced warmer tones of ochre, greens and neutrals kept the collection cohesive but more satisfyingly, it could be intermingled.
This wasn’t a collection about each individual piece, but rather how they worked together to create a complete wardrobe. In a world of decision fatigue where endless choice is both blessing and a curse, the ease of wearing that marks Kimber’s creation is always a welcome experience.
The collection also marked the first time that the brand had (publicly, anyway) done formalwear. A gold-tinted silk jacket, silver trousers – it was formal, but done with Kimber’s informal touch.
A perfect example of this was the wool jacket with tuxedo, or shawl, collar. Easily worn with denim as it would be with black trousers.
Brava.
This year, the GRAZIA Australia team travelled between AAFW shows in the refined style of Toyota’s new RAV4 GXL. With its modern and spacious interior, privacy glass, and fast charging portals for our phones, it was the perfect mode of travel for zipping across Sydney town. To find out more, visit toyota.com.au.
