Butler tries designing for his super

A Perth-based designer named David is preparing to tackle his own Goliath.
A former West Australian Academy of the Performing Arts (WAAPA) student, David - last name Butler - boldly intends changing the way Australian men dress by launching a collection of what he terms 'theatrical-type' shirts.
Combining unusual fabrics, graphic images and asymmetric panel lines,
the 'Koosache' collection features a range of eight shirts, each heavily influenced by Butler's time designing for such productions as The Sound of Music and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parades.
Butler said he had always been interested in period and historical costume and graduated from WAAPA in 1997 as a costume builder and designer.
"The idea of trying my own range had been there for a while, but because of my lack of a traditional fashion background, I kept avoiding it until now. I'm always attracted by unusual and eye-catching shirts and that's what I have tried to create with my first range."
Based on a streamlined block - but not darted - the range is made by Sydney company Ambassador Shirts and constructed from 100 per cent cotton, in a move Butler hopes will allow him to keep the label manufactured onshore.
"I am really committed to trying to keep the label as a local product - although all the old hands who I tell this to just shake their heads and laugh at me."
Too busy spending his money on 'fabric and other things' to stage an official launch, Butler said the range would be available in sizes small to XXL and priced from $119 to $139.
Depending on industry reaction to the label, he hopes eventually to launch a complementary womenswear label.
"I've been warned to start small and not over-commit - so that's exactly what I'm doing. Being stocked in Myer or David Jones is great to aspire to - but not just yet.
"I would also like to try designing for bigger women. As a costumer I've seen how a well-designed costume can make a size 26 opera singer look sensational. I'd like to try translating that into fashion."