Ahead of his show today as part of the official Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, the Melbourne-based menswear designer shares his style journey.
The first time I met menswear designer Christian Kimber was in 2014 when the Melbourne-based brand launched with a small and thoughtful edit of footwear and accessories.
The following year, he came to Auckland to launch the brand in New Zealand at the now-defunct Gubb & Mackie store on Vulcan Lane. Christian has since steered the brand’s evolution into a full lifestyle wardrobe for well-traveled men with a taste for easy sophistication.
The British transplant has managed to combine the hallmarks and traditions of classic British tailoring with a louche Australian spirit that is an inherent part of the way people dress over on this side of the world.
“A lot has happened between then and now,” says Christian ahead of his show today on the Australian Fashion Week schedule, where the designer will be presenting a collection onsite at Carriageworks.
“In short, we’ve gone from a start-up creating beautiful yet niche footwear and accessories for a cult following of clientele in Melbourne to delivering head-to-toe collections annually, and servicing a broad range of clients via physical retail, online, and wholesale channels.”
Working closely to better serve his discerning market, Christian is the perfect embodiment of his brand, mixing utilitarian pieces with soft tailoring and casual separates made from premium textiles such as cotton, wool, cashmere, silk and linen. Sourced from Australia, New Zealand, these selected fabrics are often fashioned into garments manufactured in Italy “as they have the industry and experience to do this at the highest possible standards.
“From a design perspective, I’ve worked hard to develop the category in menswear locally, across elevated casualwear, and luxury, all with a distinctively Australian aesthetic,” he says.
“This was helpful during the pandemic, as we suddenly became the ideal look for a mass audience of men who were ditching classic tailoring to work from home while needing to look professional, feel comfortable, and be prepared for a new sort of lifestyle that blended professional and personal.”
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Advertise with NZME.He shares his vision of menswear with us, and what inspires him to create one of the most sought-after menswear brands in Australia right now, one with a keen eye on delivering the same timeless wardrobe values to the New Zealand market.
Can you tell us about the ethos behind the Christian Kimber label?
Christian Kimber is a luxury menswear label creating elevated casual yet enduring garments inspired by the unique Australian climate and lifestyle. The brand prides itself on wearable, limited-run collections that deliver on the sustainability principles of slow fashion. We operate at the luxury end of the market, which is reflected in the quality of our fabrications, construction and fits.
We’re probably best known for our knitwear, including polos, sweaters and cardigans, which you might say have a modern Australian aesthetic, and we innovate with the development of extraordinary fabrications to enhance the functionality of natural fibre textiles.
We work with a range of world-leading manufacturers and mills to produce hand-finished garments at the highest possible production standards to ensure that each piece outlives its owner.
What can we expect to see from today’s show at Australian Fashion Week?
In terms of the collection, expect to see the next iteration of everything we’re known for, as well as an expression of our signature aesthetic across different lifestyle contexts. For instance, what does my take on the Australian aesthetic mean in terms of formalwear or haute couture? There will be several new product categories, a range of bespoke fabrications, and hopefully a few surprises.
Describe your personal style.
My personal style sits at the collision of a few different categories but is probably best characterised as elevated Australian casualwear. It’s the outcome of trying to find a point of comfort between casualwear or streetwear, high fashion, and tailoring for men; I play with the rules of these genres to create something new and express my mood or an idea.
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Advertise with NZME.In terms of how I pull looks together for myself, I am driven by comfort, and like to layer to contrast texture and colour. I’m a very tactile person so the most important thing for me is how something feels when it’s on. I avoid conspicuous consumption or anything with big logos or seasonal trends. I look for pieces that tell a story, that you can see and feel the craftsmanship in, and that are generally timeless.
What is your most treasured item of clothing, and why?
My most treasured item of clothing is a black and white silk floral print Tom Ford bowtie, which my wife bought me when I first moved to Australia. We had both only recently finished formal studies and internships so we weren’t cashed up by any means, but we went into a department store in Melbourne one day on a walk through the city and saw a case of the most beautiful bowties. As a surprise, she used her remaining savings to buy me the bow to celebrate me moving to Australia so we could be together.
The other treasured item I own is a pair of burgundy velvet Gucci loafers, which my stepmother bought for me when I was 18 years old. They were undoubtedly the boldest or avant-garde thing I’d owned (and perhaps continue to be). The thing is, they have endured ever since as truly timeless, and I still wear them at least a couple of times a year for more formal events, most recently at the NGV Gala.
When it comes to putting a look together, what are some of the key elements that inspire you the most? Are there people or moments in film, literature or music that remain constant sources of inspiration for you?
If I had to call on a cultural reference today, I’d say Richard Gere in American Gigolo and those old Armani silhouettes and shapes. But honestly, my design inspiration comes from my client base itself as a form of art imitating life. I have spent years deeply understanding my clients, what they do, how they live and what they want, and then create for that via my own design perspective. I work to break out of the box of traditional menswear rules so that I’m adding to the discourse, rather than simply recreating.
What are some of your earliest fashion memories?
My earliest fashion memories would be that of my father’s wardrobe. He was ahead of his time in terms of elevated casualwear and his closets were filled with beautiful cashmere, classic tailoring and handcrafted shoes. I think that’s probably informed my sense of what luxury is as a designer, and my focus on craft and quality over branding and trends.
How did you develop your taste for timeless style?
In addition to being inspired by my father’s sense of style from a young age, I have always loved clothes. I don’t think I knew I wanted to be a designer for some time and actually started out in the industry working through a range of functions via internships in London on Savile Row. I did everything from retail to PR to buying and styling, and it was through this that I started to think more deeply about what I would really love to wear.
Moving to Australia gave me the opportunity to think outside of the structure and rules of what you see in Europe and the UK in particular. It’s a young and creative country with a totally different way of living that has inspired me no end. The landscape, the warmth and the outdoor lifestyle challenge me to think about what makes sense here, and the international luxury brands sold locally don’t address those needs, so I am.
Why are clothing, style and self-expression important, and what can they say about us as a society or community?
Clothing is one of the most personal and creative ways you can express not only who you are and how you feel, but also the way you engage with the spaces and settings you find yourself in. It can be defining as well as unifying within communities and cultures, and across lifestyles.
Essentially, though, what I design for and sell my clients is confidence to be in their environment and feel the best version of themselves they can be. The fact that clothing has the power to do that will never not be inspiring to me as a designer.
What are some of the grooming products you enjoy using or rely on on a daily basis?
I follow a very simple grooming routine each morning and stick to the basics. After washing my face with warm water, I use a face oil if my skin is feeling dry, and a Hunter Labs face moisturiser, followed by Le Labo balm on my beard, which I then brush through with a Murdock’s beard brush. If I’ll be in the sun, I’ll wear Mecca brand sunscreen on my face and 50-plus everywhere else.
Do you have a signature fragrance you like to wear?
I have a collection of fragrances that I rotate on an almost daily basis depending on my mood and plans. The scents I like most right now are patchouli, bergamot and leather.
As a London transplant in Melbourne, what are some of the things you’ve learned about the Australian and New Zealand market when it comes to delivering quality menswear?
Living in Australia and learning about Australian and New Zealand markets has taught me so much. For instance, the beauty in the everyday, the richness of our landscape, the abundance of raw materials and more. Unlike the UK and Europe more broadly, you have much more social mobility, fewer class systems, and so a lot more freedom to try new things and push the boundaries, in a place where clients are a lot more open to seeing something new.
You work closely with your wife Ren on the business as the co-founder. What’s it like working together? How do you inspire each other creatively?
I am constantly inspired by Ren’s drive and belief in our vision. She is very strategically minded, as opposed to me, the dreamer; she is pragmatic and incredibly intelligent. From a creative point of view, it’s great to have another person to bounce ideas off and pull me back down to earth when I need it. She is a wonderful partner and mother, and my favourite person. I am lucky to be able to work with her each day. She inspired me to start and inspired me to keep going.
What is the most inspiring thing about being a new dad?
The most inspiring thing about becoming a father is the privilege of seeing the world through my son’s eyes. He’s 18 months old and finds joy in everything and, perhaps more importantly, in the simple things. I try to bring this into my design process when thinking through the foundational elements that will bring my clients joy, whether that’s in the way something fits or feels.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone has given to you?
Get to know your client deeply so you can not only create for them but also anticipate their emerging needs. Beyond design, this advice has guided our growth as a business in terms of product categories, our retail footprint, and more.
Can you tell us what one item of clothing you can’t wait to wear from your next collection?
This season I have explored the concept of formalwear and what that might look like in a ready-to-wear context. True to form, the concept is about what an Australian take on formalwear could look like, putting aside the structure and rules of European class systems. I’ve aimed to push the boundary on everything from the fabrications to the colours and construction of looks in this category to open up a similar breadth of expression we see in women’s couture. It’s a marked change for me as a designer and the brand, and I’m excited to see how it’s received at AAFW.
