Zambesi's head designer took inspiration from Berlin for the new menswear collection.
When Dayne Johnston, the designer of Zambesi menswear, started working in the fashion industry he didn't think part of the job description would involve stalking strangers. And certainly not in deepest, wintry Berlin of all places; Johnston spent his Christmas holidays there this year taking notes and gathering inspiration for
upcoming Zambesi menswear collections.
"On the whole I find the sorts of casual menswear looks you see on the street in Europe really inspiring," Johnston explains.
"It's like an aesthetic feast. It gives me a chance to see how the rest of the world's men are dressing."
Which is why when he spots a sharp dresser, the New Zealander takes careful note. It is also why in early January Johnston was standing behind a pillar, outside a McDonald's, in the middle of what was once East Berlin, pretending to text a friend.
Johnston had seen an interesting example of masculine layering - scarf, beanie, backpack, utilitarian looks, sportswear details and all - and the owner of all of the above had gone in to get a burger.
"I felt pretty ridiculous but I wanted to get a look at him from the front," the designer laughs.
"It was just a really interesting silhouette."
Because of his job, Johnston knows that male shoppers are more concerned with detail than females.
"A guy won't necessarily look at himself in the mirror first - they'll try something on to see how it feels to them, whether it's comfortable or not," he explains.
Of course, not all of the inspirational looks Johnston notices end up in a spot of stalking.
"Catching the train in Berlin was also a novelty for me because as people get on and off, some of them really stand out," he explains. A stroll through the trendy Mitte district - a bustling hub of designer boutiques and cafes popular with tourists and locals alike - was also interesting.
"There's this huge Scandinavian influence in that area, with a lot of high-end shops," Johnston explains. He says the Mitte look is cleaner and more deliberately fashionable, with slim cut, cropped trousers, stonewash denim and chunky retro knits on every corner.
Johnston also found Berlin's many and varied vintage stores an excellent place to get his visual kicks.
"It's just interesting observing people in an environment like that," Johnston says.
"They don't have a huge income for fashion but they create a look for themselves with limited resources. The way some of the younger men in those stores were interpreting the clothes, from the 60s, 70s and 80s, was exciting - they were clearly aware of trends but they were being very individual about it."
That sort of unique yet relaxed attitude to men's fashion is something Johnston wouldn't mind seeing more of at home.
He agrees that although the average New Zealand bloke's attitude toward fashion has changed a lot, there is still a feeling that in order for local men to be fashionable, they have to "dress up".
"I guess what I really enjoy about European menswear, and particularly the things I saw in Berlin this winter, is that often it's more about style than trends," Johnston says.
"It's not always about the latest thing, but more about how somebody has interpreted something.
"The way men dress in Europe is generally less self-conscious, a little more relaxed. It seems more effortless somehow."
Which, because of the way that men like to wear trends - that is, in a relaxed, utilitarian and subversive way - is particularly pertinent to Johnston's work.
So is there some advice that Johnston has for New Zealand men contemplating their winter wardrobes?
"Men's fashion doesn't have to be a big deal, you don't need save certain things for dressing up or for special occasions," he says. "If guys can relax into it and not take fashion so seriously, then they'll really start enjoying themselves."
Style notes from Europe
* Cropped pants
* Chinos
* Stonewash denim
* Pants that are slim at the ankle but looser in the crotch and hips
* Double-breasted blazers
* Traditional Fair Isle and Norwegian knitwear patterns
* Graffiti prints
* Dr. Martens boots
* Retro, coloured sneakers (a lot like running shoes from the early 90s in shape)
* High-top sneakers, with a higher top than usual
* Retro-looking, Scandinavian-style hiking boots
* Layering
* Trainers with suit jackets, or any other tailoring with sportswear elements
