In line with Boss Hunting‘s coverage of some of the more, shall we say, “relatable” fashion shows (see our Pitti Uomo 105 wrap-up), this week, we resolved to take a stab at translating some of what we saw — on and off the runway — at Australian Fashion Week 2024.
With cost-of-living large in the national discourse and the ongoing slowdown in global luxury (Burberry is the latest capital-F fashion house to declare a +10% drop in annual revenue thus far this year), you’d be right in thinking that there was a somewhat tempered atmosphere at this year’s AFW festivities.
Fortunately, for those of us playing at home, this means that the divide is shrinking: between a sizable chunk of what was shown on the runways at Carriageworks, and what you’ll find trickling down into the wardrobes of well-dressed men on the streets of Australian metropolises.
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Whether it was the Giedi Prime-esque bombast of Michael Lo Sordo’s Machine Hall show, or an Albus Lumen collection that captured designer Marina Afonina’s nostalgia for childhood (in ways that were frayed, distressed and post-apocalyptic) one of the big metatexts — hiding in plain sight — was that fashion, in 2024, can still be likened to a coherent vocabulary.
Sure, the words may have gotten longer, and certainly harder to pronounce, but in the cold hard light of day, what are pageboy tights and a polo with ruffs (both deployed by AFW breakout Alix Higgins) if not a novel spin on the faithful shirt-and-trouser combo?
Bearing this in mind, here are some of the moments from the runways (and streets) of Australian Fashion Week, worth earmarking for your personal style inspiration.
(Wearable) Trends Spotted At Australian Fashion Week 2024
At the aforementioned Michael Lo Sordo show, held in the dark cavernous recesses of Sydney’s Kent Street, the best-selling homegrown designer reintroduced a smattering of menswear in the midst of a collection cut largely from the same slinky, midnight cloth used to dress Parisian clubland.
Shirts with covered plackets, billowy drawstring trousers, styling cues that evoke a lifetime spent flitting between the gym and the solarium… this is an aesthetic that will feel familiar to a particular type of well-dressed Sydneysider.
Truthfully, the most complicated slice of menswear appears to have been a double-breasted blazer: reimagined albeit in rumpled leather volumes that convey all the animal magnetism for which Lo Sordo’s dressmaking is so well-known.
If the notion of cosplaying as a leather daddy/Russian mafioso feels a touch challenging, there are a few more readily accessible lessons to be divined from Albus Lumen. This Monday saw the unveiling of the brand’s 2025 resortwear collection heavy, in both feminine and masculine contexts, on slouchy silhouettes that have been put through the proverbial ringer.
A matching indigo shirt & shorts set (that appear to be cut from garment-dyed terry cloth) is an elegant answer to poolside attire next summer; and even if you’re not in the market to upgrade your casualwear rotation, channelling the Albus Lumen colour wheel — which embraces subtle, tonal variations on a single shade — is a manoeuvre that’s easier to execute than it sounds.
Street Style Highlights From AFW 2024
Outside of the runway proper, there were a handful of sartorial through-lines that we’d strongly recommend experimenting with personally.
In a move precipitated by similar developments in the British and American menswear spheres, fashion appears to have emerged as an unlikely saviour of the necktie. Once a notorious symbol of corporate hackdom, they cropped up in notable numbers around Carriageworks this year: often in jaunty geometric motifs or madder prints, sometimes even in calfskin leather (à la Ferragamo FW24).
Elsewhere, “anti-suit” suiting continues to be a winner with enthusiasts of elevated basics. In that vein, one of the week’s best fits consisted of a trucker cap, tapered wool trousers, and a matching wool jacket (Editor’s Note: you can actually buy the latter piece from Venroy).
Similarly, the outerwear of Jeremy Arshan appeared to be a clear favourite among the insider/fashion journo set. Admittedly, some may bristle at the notion of forking out 700 dollarydoos for a varsity jacket, but the Haulier designer’s proto-Seventies aesthetic may be explored without incurring financial ruin. This winter, think oversized outerwear with a robust graphic design element; or the often underrated denim jacket (worn, for maximum effect, with matching jeans).