Welcome to Makers Of Melbourne – the ‘go to’ guide for our technically integrated age.
Makers Of Melbourne has been created to consume and assimilate Melbourne culture. We're male focussed, but not male specific, sorting through the dross to weed out the creative stars, standout events and stylish folk that make this city unique.
MOM aims to embrace all facets of what makes this city a creative hub. Our aim is to inform without condescending – to keep you abreast of what’s going on without regurgitating Press Releases & to seek out this city’s sub cultures to give our readers the inside scoop on what’s REALLY happening with the people who make Melbourne Melbourne.
Chris always looks like the best dressed man in the room (or in this case, the street). The perfect personification of everything Melbourne tailoring brand Oscar Hunt stands for - no nonsense classic dressing without the fussy frills. Chris was photographed in South Melbourne wearing Oscar Hunt trousers, shirt & double breasted jacket, finished off with a pair of tan derby brogues from Loake.
It was hardly a surprise to learn that the stylish Jamie worked at the boutique of Japanese design company Kenzo. Well layered against the cool of a typical Melbourne Spring evening, Jamie interspersed his head to toe Kenzo garb with a pleated button-down from Erdem.
Even among the dapper gents at this year's Festival of Steve, a more casually attired Cardin still stood out as a guy assured of his own style. Makers grabbed a few shots just on dusk outside of Russell Street's iconic Kelvin Club of Cardin wearing an M-ONE-11 shirt, Bell & Barnett Jumper, Kenneth Cole shoes & Kangol hat.
The Makers of Melbourne street style team stopped Andrew on a late Saturday afternoon in the Melbourne CBD. His Alfred Dunhill traditional leather holdall & the tailoring of his Balmain peacoat were dead giveaways that here was a man who appreciated quality, even when dressing for a casual day out. Andrew's leather & canvas boots were handmade in Istanbul by Helm & his jeans were from PRPS.
Poetically, we photographed newest member of the Oscar Hunt tailoring family, Steve, outside of the men's event, the Festival of Steve. A walking personification of the easygoing style of the Oscar Hunt boys, Steve was unsurprisingly wearing the brand's own jacket, trousers & tie along with Pike Brothers braces, Loake brogues & a Filson briefcase.
Fresh from Japan on a fly-in visit to Melbourne, we caught sock manufacturing impresario Tsubasa on a South Melbourne coffee break post-meeting with our friends at Beggar Man Thief. Out to discuss the footwear store’s new sock program, Tsubasa impressed with an outfit that looks casual but was all quality, from his Visvim shoes and Maiden Noir Trousers to his Carhartt jacket and Up There made in Japan shirt. “I used to be in to labels when I was younger,” says Tsubasa, “but now it’s just all about understated quality.”
Makers of Melbourne grabbed Theo as he window-shopped on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Fitzroy. Wearing a mix of well chosen pieces, his weekend casual look was made up of trousers by Brent Wilson, tartan tee by sportswear brand Elwood, ASOS shoes, H&M scarf & jacket purchased on a recent trip to Europe.
Bosco is an understated guy. Softly spoken and not overly flashy, he's a stylish individual with an eye for classic pieces that marry well and are built to last. We stopped Bosco in South Melbourne where he shyly agreed to let Makers of Melbourne take his picture. His ensemble comprised a pair of New Balance sneakers, classic Levis jeans, Beams Boy scarf & Breton style tee by APC.
Kieren was stopped by the Makers of Melbourne team as he left Fitzroy cafe 'De Clieu' & it soon became apparent that every piece of clothing he wore had special significance for him. From his vintage American Varsity jacket to his embroidered Mexican chambray shirt, there was a history to how each item had come to be a part of his wardrobe. New Zealand artist & friend Joe Sheehan had given three of only a dozen handmade Jade keys to Kieren as a gift, which he wears as a necklace on an antique fob chain. His outfit was completed with a classic 1960's Rolex, Japanese designed S2W8 navy suede moccasins & a pair of Flat Head jeans.
While VAMFF (the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival) runway series may have had a heavy focus on the ladies, there were still a number of male attendees at the Docklands Central Pier shows. Forget the dime a dozen navy suits - here are a few boys who, through sheer originality, stood out from the typical fashion pack.
Will wearing Vintage jacket, ACNE tee, Uniglo trousers & French Connection hat
Model/DJ Xander Pratt wearing all Eduardo Xavier. Steampunk accessories
RMIT fashion designer teacher Dr Peter Allan in Japanese demin label 'Big John overalls & Levis jacket.
Photographer Sam Wong in his mother's jacket & $2 tee
Taylor in Topshop top, Thai sarong, New Balance sneakers, Alexander McQueen clutch.
Wei spotted in South Melbourne on a mid week day off, wearing Reiss jacket & trousers, hat by Truffaux & loafers by Oliver Sweeney
The men of London turned it on as our intrepid photographer hit the streets to document the best looks of the season during a fly-in, fly-out visit as the UK winter turns to spring: the kilt gets an urban makeover, tan shoes retain their dominance and a vermillion trench pops in a sea of navy.
“We are seeing a real trend with athletes pushing style boundaries and that has changed the mindset of the common man in how they relate to fashion.”
- Alex Cox
Alex Cox is something of a champion for the cause of men’s fashion in Melbourne. As client development manager for Events Melbourne, it was in part under his jurisdiction that 2013’s inaugural Mr event (as part of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week) was born. The idea was simple: to give men the chance to cluster around the fashion stage, so often an arena presumed to be the domain of women.
Alex: “We appreciate that a lot of people within the industry have a passion for design and for fashion, but the average city worker also wants a way to get in to that space and learn a little more and that’s what Mr was all about. It gave us the chance to educate in a more general way.”
It’s an interest Alex sees as growing, in large part as a result of the trend of NBA and NBL athletes taking to the style scene with the same panache as they once dominated the hip hop space. Think Russell Westbrook with his geek chic approach or Kevin Durant with his penchant for preppie sweaters and slim silhouettes.
Alex: “Maybe the common guy has always had an interest in fashion but has not known how to take the next step and that’s where these athletes have given them a nudge. The pursuit of style no longer feels like a feminine thing.”
Men’s style blogs, too, he believes, have helped to give men’s fashion a much stronger street presence.
Alex: “These are real people – not models on the run way – and it gives guys a lot of different touch points. It’s a space where they can take away elements of other people’s fashion and apply it to themselves.”
The scope for entertaining the male population’s growing fascination with fashion and the accompanying demand for education is, he says, what will ensure that the Spring Fashion Week Mr event will continue to remain a highly anticipated event for the men of Melbourne.
Story: Sarina Lewis
Andrei is the co-creator of the new Melbourne based Barnaby Shop sock company & we had to admire his cycle print socks when we stopped him ask for a photo. Andrei was shot in South Melbourne wearing a classic pair of 'Jensen' calfskin cap toe oxfords from Santoni.
