7

Hannah O'Callaghan

Senior Editorial Reporter at The Weekend Edition

How do you spend your days at Lee Merchandising?The thing that I love the most about working at Lee is that your days are always so different. Whether you are doing range showings at the agency, immersing yourself in amazing new ranges or heading out on the road to visit customers in store you can always count that there will be something to keep you busy – busy is good!

Tell us about your experience as Frock Paper Scissors’ Stylist?A truly amazing experience - I got to meet so many new people in the industry and experienced so many new things, all with the amazing QUT Fashion support network behind me. Being part of the FROCK team really allowed me to expand my horizons and whilst it was a 24/7 commitment and really challenged me at times it was such a fun time and I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

Only a local would know that…

Samantha Aldenton

Editorial Assistant at WGSN.com

How do you spend your days at WGSN?The most consistent part of my day usually is when I wake up in the morning and I check my emails that come from our London head office. Other than that each day is different from the next. Some days I'm out shooting street style or store windows for the site and others I can be trending images for reports or out at industry trade shows reporting on the latest collections from brands. In the evening it's either working late in the office or out at an event, so most evenings I'm in bed by around midnight.

Where is home? What do you love most about it?Home for me is in New York. The list of loveable attributes that this city holds is endless but for me it’s the energy and motivation of the people, the unexpected adventures that this city gifts you and the layered history of every street corner.

What can we expect from you in the next 12 months?

How do you spend your days at The Weekend Edition?Days at The Weekend Edition are divided into writing days and photography days, with admin, interviews and editing scattered amongst it all. As we publish weekly, we're always working to a deadline, so it's a very fast-paced, dynamic environment. Being a locally focused publication, we're constantly discovering and helping to spread the word about new creative things around Brisbane. How did you get into journalism?For my undergraduate degree I studied journalism with a major in creative and professional writing at QUT. After working as a media advisor in government for a while, I returned to uni last year to complete my honours, creating Seam Magazine as my major project. While studying I also completed internships and did a little freelance writing and photography. At the end of last year, map magazine advertised a position and I've been lucky enough to be helping to create The Weekend Edition each week ever since.

What do you expect from Issue seven of Frock Paper Scissors?

Brand Manager at Lee Merchandising

Linsey Rendell

Meet the frockersPeppered with creativity and worldly attainment, Frock Paper Scissors magazine begins and ends with our QUT Fashion and Style Journalism alumni. Here’s a taster of what could be in store for you.

FROCK interviews

Java Coast Cafe on George Street has the best coffee in Brisbane and you can enjoy it in their secret backyard garden! The most amazing place to take a moment in the CBD.

That's the thing about New York, it's a city that can throw incredible opportunities or great hurdles into your lap on any given day so to predict what I'll be doing in 12 months is a hard one to answer. But I know for certain that I'll still be here at WGSN and hopefully have another incredible year of experiences and knowledge under my belt with the possibility of a couple of other creative projects that I’m working on coming into their final stages.

Cleverly curated design and inspiring fashion features. I hope the FROCK experience has inspired this year’s team and helped shape some dreams worth chasing.

Men’s Fashion Editor 2011

Features Stylist 2011

Chief Sub Editor 2008

WORDS Valerie Stoelen

SHORT OUT LOUDMen's Bathing Suits:

The Long and the Short of It

9

At some point we’ve all looked through our closets thinking, “I wish I kept that jacket I bought 10 years ago”. Fashion cycles have a habit of coming back around

(yes ladies and gentlemen that includes flared jeans and Hawaiian-inspired button-ups). This inevitable progression not only includes clothing, but also swimwear. Just as women’s swimmers have undergone this gradual evolution process, so too have men’s. Gone are the days where we see men walk out of the water like penguins, as their knee-length board shorts stick to them like glue. The style of men’s swimwear witnessed today is very much what we saw in the 1960s. Short, shorter and shortest. The 60s was a period known as the sexual revolution, creating shorter and tighter swimwear to appeal to the masses. Visible bum cracks are now few and far between, as less material means lighter and more water-friendly beachwear. Many brands are embracing this new trend, with two companies appearing as front runners in their field. Budgy Smuggler and aussieBum have taken the market by storm, creating fun and interesting styles to keep men fashion-forward. Both labels have reported domestic and international sales rising steadily since their respective launches in 2001 and 2004. This growth has been attributed to young men, rather than the stereotypical ‘swim club kids’ and ‘pot-bellied older men’ being interested in the trend. Sean Ashby, Founder and CEO of aussieBum, says we can thank Daniel Craig for this revolution, as men all over the world have been inspired by the famous beach scene in James Bond: Casino Royale, where he struts out of the water in next to nothing. James Bond is seen to be the ultimate man, fighting crime and winning over the hearts of many women – so naturally men would want to be just like him. Ashby couldn’t be happier that this trend is growing, and puts a lot of his success down to men becoming more knowledgeable about fashion. “It’s gentlemen recognising the global fashion influence, which we can thank the internet for. Men are becoming more aware of what looks relevant within their social media network,” says Ashby. Founder of Budgy Smuggler Adam Linforth agrees with Ashby, stating that younger consumers are now more fashion-savvy than the generation before and are likely to follow trends favouring a more streamlined look of swimwear.

“People are becoming more favourable towards the Australian lifesaver look, shying away from the Abercrombie and Fitch surf culture,” says Linforth. Kurt Munro, a full-time lifeguard at Burleigh Beach on the Gold Coast, believes females are enjoying seeing less board short and more leg. “Girls definitely take notice when these types of guys walk down the beach. It looks like they enjoy it,” says Munro. He explains that the type of male who wears the shorter shorts is definitely the “gym junkie” type. Ashby agrees

with Munro, stating the better the body, the less clothing worn. “[Men] are simply showing off an asset. They now realise it is an important sales tool when it comes to getting attention on the beach.” Can you hear the collective cheer from females across the country? For so

long ladies have led the parade by exposing skin at the beach – we think it’s time that men stop being so conservative and jump on the bandwagon. Just as much as we would love to see men revealing more skin throughout summer, the controversial trend has a deeper issue to address. This shorter, more risqué look can have a negative effect on men and their confidence issues. It has been ingrained in us from a very young age that,

according to the media, only females have self-esteem issues. Eric Brymer, Adventure Psychologist at Queensland University of Technology, suggests that men aren’t becoming more confident with their bodies, they are simply doing what they have to, to fit in. “This is a fashion-lead issue. With women, I think that so much of what happens in dress is led by what we are ‘supposed’ to be wearing… the same thing is happening for men. Fashion dictates what we should wear in order to fit in.” Dean Brough, Fashion Lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology, disagrees with Brymer, stating that the existence of this trend is more than just the fashion cycle coming around. “It’s hard to define where a trend starts but it may be an indirect result of men feeling more confident about their body identity and feeling okay to expose more skin,” Brough explains. Whatever the reason for this new and improved swimwear look, ladies are pleased to hear that it’s here to stay. This summer will bring new meaning to the words ‘eye-candy’, as men will be able to frolic uninhibited in their short shorts, and ladies will sit back and enjoy the perve! After all, less is more, right?

WORDS Erin ZillmanPhOTOGRAPhy Christopher PolakMODEL Dion @ Vivien’sSTYLING Karolina Giermanski

“[Men] are simply showing off an asset. They now realise it is an important sales tool when

it comes to getting attention on the beach.”

FROCK FEATURES

First PageTOP Friends of the heart

JACKET alice Waugh PANTS La La Latrobe

NECKLACE Easton Pearson

This PageSHIRTS Friends of the heartPANTS isabella LongginouCOLLAR, NECKLACE AND

BRACELETS Easton PearsonNECKLACE alice Waugh

TOP La La Latrobe DRESS 1989 SHORTS alice WaughNECKLACES Easton Pearson

SHIRT 1989 TOP La La Latrobe PANTS AND COLLAR Easton PearsonBELT alice Waugh

DRESS AND NECKLACE Easton Pearson

19

this photograph was that the woman, Manelle Chawk, was shot wearing the abaya and hijab, and consequently represented the traditional Muslim woman. This further supported traditional religious dress being worn in Australian society and sparked the inspiration for the 2012-13 Faith, Fashion, Fusion: Muslim Women’s Style in Australia exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. The exhibition showcases how Muslim women are making their own personal ‘statement’ by sporting their traditional modest dress as a tool for liberation. El-Higzi believes this is an emerging market in the fashion industry, as Eastern women want to expand their cultural fashion in Western society. “We don’t want to be western or traditional all the time, we want to mix and match,” she says. She describes how she, like many women, only wears her traditional dress for special celebrations. El-Higzi says her children initially shunned the idea of traditional dress but now understand the balance of mixing and matching in the correct context.

This balance of cultures can be difficult, as media and society adhere to a certain stigma of traditional dress. El-higzi has witnessed the difficulties of being an openly Arabian woman in Western society. “When you are on the wrong side of the road, it is harder to stay with traditional dress,” she says. This social pressure of personal appearance significantly influences fashion choices, resulting in women either disregarding traditional dress or adhering to it more than ever. Although the integration of cultural dress can be difficult, Grabc believes it is a fundamental part of her work as a designer. “Cultural ideas trigger inspiration for design,” she says. Grabc became an ambassador for Trade India in 2009, where she was asked to work in the country and design an Indian-inspired collection “[combining] Australian design and Indian techniques”. The designer reflects on her time working in India as “…an amazing experience. It gave me great ideas and it was a strong collaboration between myself and the Indian artisans”. Even high-end designers are now delving into the traditional dress market, allowing modest dress to become an envied luxury. Traditional dress is no longer monotonous, but is evolving into a lucrative and fashion-forward globalised market. “Traditional dress is starting to incorporate modern technology,” explains Dr Maynard. El-Higzi also believes traditional dress is still worn the same way, but is styled with fashion-forward colours and accessories. Will these innovations result in traditional dress being de-authenticised? Dr Maynard doesn’t believe so. “The word traditional is not static at all, and it changes and evolves throughout time”. Fashion, especially in a diverse city like Brisbane, is becoming adaptive and open-minded. It not only allows for innovation but also acceptance. Our cultural identity is embedded in all of us to an extent, but it is how we reflect culture within our own personal identity that dictates who we are, and what statement we project.

FROCK FEATURES

“The celebration of Australia’s multicultural population

continues to grow and with it comes a greater focus on how faith and fashion interact.”

20

It’s a case of in with the new, and out with the old for the innovators of the future fashion sphere, where the growing assortment of technology portals are proving to be fashion’s

most exciting new trend. There once was a time where fashion’s front row accessory was a Smythson notepad, its magenta-hued crocodile skin exterior and turquoise clasp the ultimate status symbol of the industry’s elite. That time, though not so long ago, now resides in the background of the burgeoning relationship between the industries of fashion and digital media. The notebook is now replaced by modern technology and digital media, where traditional means of social commentary has been rendered out-dated and upgraded for a newer model. This model – or as the industry is learning – models, is causing a stir not only in the circles of designers, bloggers and fashion enthusiasts alike, but also in the business backgrounds of these industry divisions. With the forecasting of future markets calling out for a breakpoint between the accustomed tradition of older media types and that of modern technology, the shift in consumer and business requirements can be traced back to the progressive nature of social media. Modern technology and social media is, for the fashion and creative industries, a “supporting development… hastening trends,” according to Dr Susan Leong, Lecturer in Media and Communication specialising in new media at Queensland University of Technology. The relationship or ‘mediated interface’ as coined by Leong, is progressing to be the centre of fashion trend forecasting and industry information. Adopting a path of digital reinvention specifically in the manner of the new updating the old, is an update venturing past the replacement of the notebook. While the emergence of social and digital media platforms began their crawl onto the public floor several seasons prior, the employment of these technology portals in various facets of the fashion industry are only now proving to be not only a fundamental requirement, but an intrinsic element in the formula for innovation and success in creative fields of the current market. “Social media creates a level playing field, providing cost-effective tools and technologies for sole operators and small businesses to reach mass audiences,” according to Amanda Robson, Account Manager at BBS Communication Group. “The emergence of image-based tools like Instagram and Pinterest and style-based communities such as Polyvore and Pose further help consumers to discover new trends and define their individual style,” says Robson. While the operators of these media platforms may

only begin as a seed in the competitive fashion ground, one that has emerged with an enriched appreciation for social media in accordance with innovative design is Brisbane-founded label Gail Sorronda. For designer Gail Reid and business partner Atlas Harwood, social portals available to the masses, from Twitter to Tumblr to Instagram’s instant imaging, are at the fore of a consumer-brand relationship, allowing for “immediacy and impulsive response and a two-way dialogue with consumers. Its accessibility is a reflection on our techno-consumerist society,” explains Harwood. But where is this ‘techno-consumerist society’ taking us? While our fingers continue to allow us to tap our way into instant imagery, industry information, or just the odd Sartorialist fix, does the future of this social media platform rest in the assured yet wholly unpredictable and perhaps unprepared hands of its users: the techno consumer? Or does it run deeper than this, through to the emotional ties between consumer, media platform and the coveted designs stemming

from the trends being forecast by them? “Gail’s designs are always inspired by a feeling so we’ve always seen social media as a way to try and share this sometimes personal process and humanise [it] a bit more,” says Harwood. A device intrinsic to this process and the Gail Sorronda brand

has been IFTTT, a social media portal allowing the user to sync various separate platforms in order to fuse them together in a consumer-convenient bundle of technological splendour. “We employed IFTTT as we simply wanted all of our Instagram images to be automatically and instantaneously uploaded to our Facebook. We have 4,000 more followers on Facebook so this was obviously important when first establishing our Instagram account,” continues Harwood. In an industry where the new is quickly deemed old and promise for progress lays predominantly in the future, this relationship can, or perhaps should, be regarded for future fashion markets as a facilitator for positive change in the areas of both trend forecasting, design, and their social attachments to digital media. This facilitation, according to Robson, is not only a means for “an opposite and equal reaction” to upcoming digital media, but an opportunity for each digital medium to “evolve symbiotically” with the industry. “The challenge for creative industries like fashion will be to keep up with these discussions and utilise these online communities to further track trends, inform product development and meet consumer demand,” according to Robson. It’s a challenge for the future markets of an industry that is constantly being rebooted and refreshed, and if the fashion and media relationship of today is anything to go by, the consumer attitude of tomorrow’s social climate will be perpetually refreshed.

Living SocialWORDS Grace McBrierty

“The challenge for creative industries like fashion will be to keep up with these discussions and utilise these online communities”

CALYPSO DAZECALYPSO DAZEPHOTOGRAPHY Danni Olglive

STYLING adeleine Conti MAKE-UP Claire Banks

HAIR Erin WattMODELS alana and Rachel

TOP DiazFLOWERS isobel BadinEARRINGS holly Ryan

Jewellery

TOP DiazBRALET Sass and Bide from alterior motif

PANTS Ela hawke VintageNECKLACES holly Ryan Jewellery

23

TOP AND PANTS FazioSHOES marcus B from Zomp

NECKLACE adorne

LeftDRESS DiazBRACELET AND EARRINGS molten Store

RightTOP DiazDRESS Shakuhachi from alterior motifRINGS holly Ryan Jewellery

24

LeftTOP house of CardsPANTS SurafinaFLOWERS isobel BadinRINGS holly Ryan JewellerySHOES Shakuhachi from alterior motif

RightLEOTARD house of CardsNECKLACE isobel Badin from molten StoreRINGS holly Ryan JewelleryBRACELET molten Relic from molten StoreCLUTCH molten Store and Peach StateSHOES Jeffery Campbell from Zomp

25

BRALET Lover from alterior motifPANTS Ela hawke Vintage NECKLACE AND RINGS holly Ryan JewelleryBEADED NECKLACE adorneSHOES 2 Baia Vista from Zomp

First PageDESIGNER Kristal Choi

This PageDESIGNER hayley Elsaesser

27

DESIGNER Jasmine hunt

DESIGNER monique WhiteSHOES Tom Gunn ‘Harvey’

29

DESIGNER Shea Cameron RING angle Diamond Dot ‘intuitive’

EARRINGS angle Diamond Dot ‘Bonanza Dendrite’

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31

designer Isobel Campbell shoes Gary Bigeni for Tom Gunn (left)

necklaces Angle Diamond Dot ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’

ring Angle Diamond Dot ‘Arizona Bondi’

LeftDESIGNER Sam Delgos

SHOES ash to GoldEARRINGS angle Diamond Dot

‘Larissa-mar’

RightDESIGNER Carlotta Dadey

EARRINGS angle Diamond Dot ‘Bonanza Dendrite’

RING angle Diamond Dot ‘arizona Bondi’

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33

DESIGNER Kristal Choi

36

Mr. Ivy League is a winner. He is the dude that gets the girl, wins the championship, aces the test and cures world hunger all in one day. He’s that annoying over-

achiever that makes us mere mortals look bad. He is like a non-geeky Clarke Kent with superpowers to charm the socks off your mother and even get your dad blushing. Oh so nonchalant when claiming his Nobel Prize, this sophisticated cat can be found walking the hallowed halls of the most elite Ivy League colleges and universities. He is the successor for success, but what gives Mr. Ivy League that confident demeanour radiates from the traditional Ivy League look. He’s a devilishly dapper character, dressed to impress. Every ounce of this ‘Talented Mr Ripley’ is cognitively assembled to perfection, from the paisley pattern of his Henley polo to the alignment of his blow-back hairstyle (a fundamental yet meticulous balance of combing and hair product). “The Ivy League look follows a simple rule of thumb; keeping it timeless and classic, as well as young and current,” explains Brisbane-based Ivy League elite Michael Sparksman. Walking through the burgundy oak hallway of his picture perfect home, the glossy timber reflects the gallery on either side, filled with photographs of his university days. Sparksman can remember a much simpler time of law balls, courting women and the relentless 5am rowing practices, before the day’s lectures and tutorials. The photographs are a timeline of a much younger Sparksman – happy snaps of his wedding day, children and stills of him standing proudly next to his classmates and rowing team. At the end of the hallway an enormous glass frame with two rowing paddles overlap one another, with a golden plaque engraved with ‘University of Queensland Boat Club – National Champions 1969’. Originating from prestigious university and college campuses, the Ivy League style reflects the youth and virility of student lifestyle, as well as the sensibility and reputable prestige of the educational establishment. Famously documented Ivy League schools in history are American universities Harvard, Princeton and Yale, not only credited for their academic standing but also their high esteem in many sporting fields. The Ivy League look reinstates its sporting relevance, with sports jerseys and blazers being a predominant feature in the style and culture. Emblems became an integral aspect of the look in the 1950s. Stitching the first letter or initials of the college or university sporting team on sweaters reinforced the alliance and partnership to that team and educational institution.

Distinguished in the 1920s, the Ivy League look represented certain ideals which were reminiscent of the ‘American dream’. Consummated in countless romanticised novels, films and television shows, it was the fictional characters that set sail to the Ivy League dream boat. The dress style became the pin-up boy for educated white males in America. By the 1950s ideals had transformed, civil rights movements were rife and the style had taken to the streets. The ‘American dream’ was expanding and so too the popularity of the Ivy League look. Different subcultures in the United States revolutionised the look, changing the ideologies and stereotype of Ivy League being ‘White American’. This was particularly apparent with African American and Jewish societies establishing their own Ivy League schools. With

time the separation of community specific colleges and universities became fewer, and the unity of education

and sporting elite became the primary focus of all Ivy League communities.

Australia too embraced the Ivy League look, but steered away from the picturesque

‘American dream’, instead celebrating Australia’s bush culture. “The style was relatively the same, but incorporated

rural bush wear, Akubra hats and R.M William boots. It would accompany navy

blazers, button-up dress shirts and brown pants,” says Sparksman. “There was a sense of belonging

and entitlement, even for the boys who had never been to the bush.” Bush boys, academics and sportsmen

were all grounded by a single style and fashion trend. “It’s a tailored and fitted style, however it allows for comfort and flexibility with the blend of formal and casual wear. This is what transcends with men of all ages.” With technology, culture and society changing at such a fast and dramatic rate, how is it that a look optimised in the 1920s can still be so ubiquitous today? Lachlan Sinclair, assistant designer and manager for Brisbane boutique Pistols at Dawn, praises the ageless relevance of the Ivy League look and how it applies to “sons, fathers and grandfathers”. Queensland University of Technology academic Dean Brough believes that the style appeals to men of today because it “looks back to the past through rose-coloured glasses, when lifestyles were viewed as simple, easy and with traditional values”. Mr. Ivy League is a man who dresses to portray a certain persona; a person of success who works hard for what he achieves and is part of a community, a brotherhood. The Ivy League look will be embraced by many generations to come, if the current state of affairs is anything to go by.

“The Ivy League

look follows a simple rule of

thumb; keeping it timeless and classic, as well

as young and current.”

IVY LEAGUEWORDS Tasneem Shahidlullah

M R

TOP Comme des Garcons PlaySUNGLASSES neighborhoodBELT OriginalFakePANTS DeluxeBAG head Porter

TOP DeluxeJEANS neighborhood

SOCKS ChupSHOES Deluxe

40

44

DRESS Bariano from hoéVEIL hoé

RINGS adorne

DRESS amira

46

TOP Ultra SuiteSKIRT Ultra Suite HEADPIECE holly from tiger temple

47

DRESS Ultra SuiteRINGS adorne

FROCK fashion

DRESS adrian Bressanutti

TOP La La Latrobe JEWELLERY misuzi

52

DRESS adrian Bressanutti

TOP La La Latrobe DRESS LiFEwithBiRDJEWELLERY misuzi

FINAL FRONTIERPHOTOGRAPHY Elisabeth Willis

STYLING Abby KortlangHAIR AND MAKE-UP Kayrene Le Marchant

MODEL Melanie @ Vivien’s

THIS PAGEDRESS Kahlo from Denim CoVEST Lee MatthewsNECKLACES EARRING AND HARNESS Ruby and PrankstarRINGS Chase DakotaCOPPER RING Stone and MetalCUFF Peach StateMETAL BAG Mettle from Ash to Gold

OPPOSITE PAGEDRESS Humaniod from Sans Peur WorkshopTOP Madeline Roberts SCARF American Vintage from Denim Co CHAIN AND PENDANT Stone and MetalNECKLACE Ruby and Prankstar

TOP All That RemainsSKIRT Madeline RobertsSHOES ZOMPSPIKED CUFFS Jessica ToveyBRONZE CUFFS Peach StateNECKLACES AND EARRING Ruby and PrankstarRINGS Chase Dakota

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The runway – an innovative cultural strip flowing like an intravenous tube, drawing the creative lifeblood of each designer. Or perhaps, a reflective surface mirroring

our consumerist desires, siphoning front row dollars with a saccharine smile. As fashion week morphs into a global spectacle, it’s little wonder that the true purpose of the runway is now indefinable. After all, the 600-seat tent is a far cry from the intimate Parisian salons that inaugurated the show week cycle in the 17th century. Traditionally an intimate affair for buyers, editors and designers, runway presentations are now networked with a technology focus. Social commerce enables a surge of customer feedback and data tracking is readily available. Throughout two decades of fashion reporting, Australian journalist Patty Huntington has witnessed the progress of the fashion week format. Citing fast fashion and an upended retail cycle, the freelance writer notes that consumer awareness is now commodified. “In online marketing, they refer to it as a conversion,” says Huntington. “If you can capture the interest of people when they are watching a fashion show, you can instantly provide the checkout for them via technology. It’s a fascinating development.” Once a novelty reserved for industry counterparts, designer showings are now live streamed straight to the consumer. Moda Operandi, a New york fashion start-up, first championed the online trunk show, allowing shoppers to pre-order unedited collections off the runway. In 2012, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane (MBFF) added an online boutique to the show schedule, the first in the history of the festival. Brisbane e-tailer Threadbare.co presented a selection of runway looks, simultaneously available for purchase and pre-order on their virtual fashion platform. Money talks and money walks, albeit in five inch platform heels. But is there a divide in appeasing the interests of the buyer and the consumer? Justine Taylor, fashion lecturer at Whitehouse Institute of Technology, believes there

is a marked difference in taste. “If you are selling wholesale and vertical then I think you should always design for your consumer, and hope the right buyers find you,” says Taylor. “Some labels sell direct to their markets and skip bricks and mortar retail, so in this instance the ‘buyer’ is obsolete.” An advocate for preserving bespoke artistry, designer George Wu takes heart in rendering buyers and wholesalers

useless. Dealing directly with consumers, he says, eliminates the risk of credit accounts with stockists, improving cash flow for his small business. “I see creativity as the core of fashion, yet [fashion] has to remain wearable to stay alive financially,” Wu says. “I break up my business into two parts, showing creativity on the catwalk and commercial pieces to private clients.”

Wu spends his days testing new ways to manipulate fabrics, taking notes from patternmaking books and watching video clips filmed at the Chanel atelier in Paris. The seasoned company director grounds his operations with an in-house approach, sourcing luxury textiles such as French laces, Swarovski elements, silk and Japanese trims for his clients. Beyond the post fashion week sales figures and online metrics, there lies an intrinsic value for designers. Runway presentations still bear relevance, says Huntington, citing disciplined collections as a requisite for show week success. “Designers don’t need shows to sell clothes, the buyers can just come into the showroom,” she says. “But it’s the fantasy that makes people want to buy things in the first place.” Fantasy takes on all shapes and forms. The night after his couture presentation in the MBFF tent, George Wu is hunched over a tapestry board, demonstrating an intricate beading technique. His hand-drawn sketches are pinned to the studio wall, patterns piled on the cutting table. After waving farewell to Wu, it’s not hard to envisage the designer cutting and sewing late into the night. Away from the rapid fire of showroom appointments and backstage interviews, each stitch will be sure and slow. It’s all part of his purpose, and he has the time. Money can’t buy it.

From QR codes to online trunk shows, the evolution of fashion week has enabled consumers to stream and shop the runway in real time. Fashion cycles march onwards, but at what cost to designers?

WORDS Bianca Blades

Beyond the post fashion week sales figures and online

metrics, there lies an intrinsic value for

designers.

MONEY WALKS

FROCK FEATURES

Over the past few years I have tried and tested my hand at industries ranging from gas exploration to construction, and now I find myself entwined in the fashion design and fashion editorial domains. So, as a versatile young man who has done his fair share of dabbling, I feel somewhat qualified to comment on the seeming decline in traditional masculinity

in current society. The evolving attitude of Gen-Y males and the public’s changing perception of acceptable displays and hallmarks of masculinity is cause for concern. After years of incessant ramblings from Dad – asking me to ‘mow the lawn’ or ‘chop some wood for the fire’ – I now realise the significance of what I had originally dismissed as fatherly nagging. Three years in the fashion industry has imparted to my 23-year-old mind a consciousness of the desperate need for Gen-y males to ‘reclaim’ their masculinity. Our grandfathers and great grandfathers would be turning in their paternal graves if only they knew the number of adolescent males who lack the skills to change a tyre, check the engine oil or the household fuse box. My recent revelation does not in any way diminish the importance of appearance for any would-be Versatile Gentleman – first aesthetic impressions certainly do leave a lasting impact. Rather, I am calling for urban Gen-y males to take a leaf from the books of their forefathers and preserve some of the traditional modes of masculinity. A weekend spent at a photo shoot and a sustainable fashion runway show, all finished off with some elbow grease-inducing yard work, has helped me realise the importance of the precise traits that are integral to keep any Versatile Gent as they should be; grounded and humble. It is the little luxuries of life – a crisp whisky and a la carte meal, all consumed under the roof of some finely detailed architectural mastery – that all men quietly desire on a picturesque Friday evening. But it is the route we take to achieve these small moments of satisfaction that become the mark of the man. The time spent in 2012 by Gen-y males taking ‘selfies’ at the gym to upload onto social networking sites must be obliterated. This should be left to experts – the ever-vibrant yet socially inept teenage girls. And as I see it, any aspiring Versatile Gentleman should not wish to be affiliated with these said teenage girls.

Old Habits

Die Hard

WORDS & OPINION Michael McAtomney

“[This] has helped me realise the importance

of the precise traits that are integral to keep any Versatile Gent as they

should be; grounded and humble.”

67

PHOTOGRAPHY Laura Field STYLING Kelly Forbes

MAKE-UP Samantha Pearce HAIR Sarah Willmot-Smith and Kelly Forbes

MODEL Jolie Chatfield

Hair ItGoes Again

FROCK BEAUTY & LIFESTYLE

68

PHOTOGRAPHY Laura FieldSTYLING Kelly Forbes MAKE-UP Samantha Pearce MODEL Jackii Gai

From eyelid to eyelash, it’s all about colour.

Eyelight

Sarah Grogan, author of Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women & Children, defines body image as “a person’s perception, thoughts and feelings of his or her body”. It is thought to be a product of their personal experiences, personality and various other social influences. A person’s sense of their physical appearance in relation to others can be shaped by cultural ideals, and it is sometimes different to how others actually perceive them. Society is constantly exposed to the idea that thinness equals beauty, through images and messages in magazines. Tamika Hilder, director of Holistic Wellness Coaching on the Gold Coast, does not support the message these magazines are conveying. She explains how they create issues in the developing psyche of teens. “When young women look at these images it is powerfully impactful. They feel pressure to look that way in order to be accepted.” Rather than advocating an illusion “impossible for most girls to meet”, Hilder encourages magazines to show real images of women of all sizes that have not been digitally manipulated. She said it is these unrealistically enhanced images that are the major cause of body image issues and eating disorders in her clients. She believes that the actions of these magazines have caused “heartache, pressure and self-hatred – it is time they take responsibility for their actions”. The Australian Government has recently introduced several initiatives to take action in promoting positive body image and building resilience to negative pressures. They funded The Butterfly Foundation (a national charity focused on eating disorders and negative body image) and commissioned Education Services Australia to develop appropriate posters and materials for school communities. They are also investing $3.5 million in the Department of Health and Aging between the years 2009 and 2013, for issues tackling eating disorders. This year, the Australian Government launched the Positive Body Image Awards, announced in July by the Hon. Peter Garrat, MP. These awards recognise positive steps being taken by the media, fashion and advertising industries to adopt principles such as using a diverse selection of models, stocking wider ranges of clothing sizes and disclosing when images have been digitally manipulated. Winners are publicly recognised for their leading work and positive body image

initiatives. As the winner of this year’s award, teen magazine Dolly is able to display the award symbol on their products and promotional material for the next twelve months. Jessica Smith won her own battle against eating disorders. She is a paralympian, motivational body image speaker and was a guest at this year’s ceremony. “It was an honour to be in the presence of people from all across Australia, empowering a generation of people to love and accept their bodies,” says Smith. The awards can be seen as a means of challenging companies to be more creative in sending positive images to the public. Smith admits there is still a long way to go before significant changes are seen and says the awards are a step in the right direction. “I think if people can be recognised for their commitment in promoting positive body image then

hopefully more and more will follow suit and as a result we will start to see these changes benefit the community, especially those that are suffering from an eating disorder or any negative body image issue.” With the amount of plus-sized clothing

stores on the rise, the question must be asked if this will encourage an unhealthy lifestyle; Smith and Hilder both agree this won’t be the case. Having experienced anorexia and bulimia in her earlier years, Smith understands the repercussions of living an unhealthy lifestyle, but believes promoting the lifestyle to the other extreme is also unhealthy. However, at the end of the day, it is her hope that “all women and men feel comfortable in their own body no matter what shape or size, so long as not to the detriment of their overall health”. “We are better as a society to offer clothes that help people feel comfortable, have style and boost their self-esteem, regardless of size. By supporting people with their personal journey in life, society encourages people to feel included and confident. This is a positive result because when you feel good about yourself you’re far more inclined to take care of the beautiful temple that is your body,” says Hilder. As the health and wellness industry booms, Hilder predicts the popularity of body image and confidence coaching will grow. Sessions help to create new relationships with the body based on respect, confidence and self-love – what true beauty is really all about. Next time you take a look in the mirror, consider this: what do you really see?

A simple reflection is causing a big stir, with one-third of Australians concerned about their body image when they look in the mirror.

WORDS Rachael Rollbusch

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“Magazines have caused “heartache, pressure and

self-hatred – it is time they take responsibility for their

actions.”

The Beauty WithinILLUSTRATION Kirsten Williamson