Word on the street
The attempts by Fashion Exposed organisers to add a distinctly edgy offering to its Melbourne edition culminated in an innovative new component called Street Lab. Tracey Porter profiled three of the brands looking to inject some urban style to the sector's mostly male client base.
Nana Judy
Glenn Coleman is not one to shy away from any sort of challenge.
A former footy player who sustained a career-ending injury shortly after moving to Melbourne in 2006, the then 19-year-old simply hung up his boots and began looking for alternative ways to expend his considerable energy.
Keenly aware of the gap in the market for fashion forward menswear, Coleman gave birth to the label two years ago and has yet to look back.
Manufactured in the Victorian capital, Nana Judy is targeted to a similar demographic to Coleman himself - that is "edgy, fashion-conscious" individuals aged between 16 and 30. "It's a funny thing [defining the label's core consumer] because it is so far in between. I see all sorts of ages and people wearing the gear but I guess it's also for the more casual guys who appreciate quality," he says.
Boasting a range of between 30 and 60 styles per season, the collection includes T-shirts, shirts, shorts, denim and jackets and boasts price points of between $70 and $180. Viewing other Australian-made labels as his chief competitors, Coleman says Nana Judy's point of difference lies in the continuing style of the range.
The label, he says, is very "in tune with trends" and is always attempting to evolve and cross new boundaries.
"Competition is good and the amount of talent coming out of Australia just helps complement one another's labels."
The label is currently stocked in a range of boutiques across the country - including Delirium Fashion Wear in Sydney's Newtown, Liquid in Melbourne's Fitzroy and Laced Up in Perth's Subiaco.
From Britten
Alex and Tim Britten-Finschi are better equipped than most to handle the frequently fickle world of fashion. The sons of leading Melbourne bridalwear icon Linda Britten, they learned their subtle eye for detail and design appreciation from their mother but claim the "nonchalant finesse" evident in the From Britten range as their own.
Having struggled to find interesting suits, the pair set up their signature label in 2006. Last year they embarked on a project to create a new wave of uniform design, bringing fashion to staff uniforms across several Melbourne restaurants.
Boasting six styles of T-shirt, three styles of pants, five styles of jacket, three cardigan styles, nine shirt styles and scarves, ties and bow ties for its autumn/winter 2009 collection the range boasts retail price points of between $60 and $220.
Made from high quality cottons and wools, complemented with synthetics, the boys have earmarked Ksubi, Chronicles of Never, Alpha60 and Leopold as its domestic competitors and Phillipa K and Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair as its global rivals.
The pair say the label's unique selling point is the ways in which consumers can use and style the products.
Boasting a part high-end, part casual fusion, From Britten helps the label to stand out in the market, they say.
"We find ourselves quite a niche label due to the fact we cover such a broad spectrum of menswear. We like the fact that we can blend both fields. It gives us the freedom to work with fine fabrics and apply that same quality principle to our casual garments and vice versa. We make all in Australia as well so we can help sustain the industry here, whilst giving us the freedom to create smaller limited edition runs of some items."
Generally available in small, medium, large and extra large for its tops and jackets and sizes 28 to 36 for its pants, the range is stocked in Design A Space stores in Windsor and Melbourne.
Macri
The designer behind Macri, Nick Macri, is one of those rare types - designers who have experienced fashion from all sides of the business. After an early start in retailing, it finally dawned on Macri that there were too many ideas going through his head not to put them "down on something".
A short time later he began production on his first samples, leading to the launch of the label at Fashion Exposed's March instalment. Macri has deliberately limited the range to less than 100 pieces per colour, to prevent consumers spotting someone else wearing the same piece.
Targeted at males aged between 16 and 35, Macri says the brand's core consumer is typically the "sporty/metro" type.
Competitors for the label, manufactured in China with printing done in either the Gold Coast or nearby Brisbane, include Jon Pumper and Travisty. However Macri says his brand operates in a different selling space.
"The points of difference are many. The fit and cut out of our signature T-shirt is our own and definitely not a standard cut."
Currently retailing at price points of $50 for a T-shirt, $40 for a tak and $80 for a hoodie, the range is available in sizes small to extra extra large. Available in independent stores all over the country, new stockists include Hizz throughout Victoria, Black n Black on the Gold Coast and Max Power around Australia.
By Tracey Porter