The reigning king of local menswear, CHRISTIAN KIMBER, heralded a return to elegance at Australian Fashion Week recently and MAXIM was front row, centre…
When Christian Kimber first switched from making footwear to clothing in 2018, his refined approach to casual wear was something of a revelation. Five years on, the English-born designer’s recent show at Australian Fashion Week proved just how far Kimber and Aussie menswear have come. Surprisingly, Christian’s collection was his first full runway show at Fashion Week, although he has staged smaller showcases in Sydney and Melbourne for previous seasons.
With almost forty looks ranging from casual to formal, the collection was his largest and most impactful to date. “We feel we have something to say and want to show people what we can do,” he told MAXIM after the show. The ambiance during the presentation was easily the best all week, with models strutting the runway past a Kimber-clad live band playing Kylie Minogue. In fact, quality live music is fast becoming a staple at Kimber’s presentations – last year’s showcase in Melbourne included a live orchestra.
Garments included his much-loved knit polos and chore jackets, sports jackets and utility vests in tweed, as well as a range of shirts and pants built with technical fabrications to suit Australia’s ranging climates. The big idea this season was suiting. “We just have a lot of people asking for it,” Kimber said of the decision to introduce occasionwear into his permanent collection. “Everything we do is client led. We make new products because our clients demand it.”
Kimber was inspired to play with the traditional codes of event dressing for our post-COVID normal, where much of the formality has fallen out of formalwear. “The way that suits have changed is maybe you don’t have to wear a suit as often so when you do wear one it can be more special,” he said. “If you’re having fun and are more excited about dressing up then you take more risks or are open to wearing those more formal ideas in a party environment.”
The designer took those observations and translated them into clean three-piece suits, tweed tuxedo jackets and tightly-fitted double breasted blazers. For all the talk I heard and read about Christian’s sumptuous silk and elegant tailoring, it is still the functional logic behind the clothes which really sets them apart. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel every six months, each Christian Kimber collection has a calming sense of continuity while adding in a new idea here and there to fit his clients’ multifaceted lives.
For his shoppers, this design strategy means they can always pick up their firm favourites every season plus something they possibly did not even know they were missing. Take his signature long-sleeved polo, which was redesigned with an ombre-style gradient effect. Another Kimber signature has been to add in a few of his clients and friends on the runway alongside the male models. By showing his designs on men of all ages, Kimber demonstrated how his precise tailoring can accentuate the male form whether you’re 20 or over 60.
“Men, especially as we get older, get bigger in different ways and sometimes feel uncomfortable buying ready to wear clothes,” he said. “We solve that for them and they feel great and come back to see us.” True to form, many in Kimber’s front row were loyally wearing his clothes, which largely remains at a price point Christian defines as “attainable luxury”. Although he prides himself on remaining attainable to his loyal customers, he wisely added in a few fantasy pieces every bloke would dream of owning.
There was one buttery leather coat that looked as sumptuous and luxurious as anything sold by Bottega Veneta or Berluti. “We use luxury fabrications and things are made in the right way, but I don’t want to be seen as luxury for luxury’s sake,” he said. “We’re not in every store and maybe that makes us feel more special. We’re attainable luxury, we’re Australian and we’re built for this market.”
By Reilly Sullivan
Shop Christian Kimber at: WWW.CHRISTIANKIMBER.COM
For the full article grab the August 2023 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
