I have always been the type of person to really enjoy the shopping experience. The customer service, the store environment, trying things on, the ability to touch and feel the materials and textures rather then looking at a picture on a screen, I personally find it a more enriching and satisfying experience (I plan on looking at internet shopping vs actual shopping in depth in the coming weeks). Unfortunately several years ago my tastes began to change and I found myself limited in terms of what Sydney stores offered in relation to menswear. Thankfully, this began to change over the past year - year and six months Sydney has undergone a fashion renaissance. Assisted by a completely revamped shopping area in the city, there has been an emergence of fantastic boutique stores which have really allowed collections and brands that were almost unheard of in Australia to flourish.
In my mind at the forefront of this wave of new stores is Estate of Mind, not just due to there ever expanding range, which is second to none showcasing up and coming, and underground labels from Australia and the rest of the world but due to there customer service. Every time I enter the store, the staff are always extremely welcoming and friendly, willing to have a conversation with you while you browse not just standing idly by waiting for you to need assistance, the experience is such that even if you went to the store by yourself the staff would make it feel like you're shopping with friends. Stocking products for men and women with a large number of the pieces being unisex has helped the store gather a large fan base with the alternative fashion crowd in Sydney, due to an edgy and often in your face attitude that is demonstrated through the store environment, their presence on social media and the labels that are sold in the store including names such as WIA, KTZ, ProudRace, Emma Mulholland, House of Holland, Human Potential, Daniel Palillo, and soon to feature Roberto Piqueras. Its this fantastic range that means I never leave the store without something new for my collection (see above, excuse the mobile phone photos) but its the service and whole environment that keep me coming back week in and week out. If you live in Sydney or are merely visiting I strongly recommend you check out this retail gem, the store can be found at the Basement of 80 Oxford St, Darlinghurst and online at Estate of mind and there blog. Go visit you won't regret it at all, and chances are you'll leave with an amazing piece of clothing.
Lastly I wanted to share my opinion on two collections from Paris Fashion Week I have seen a fair bit of today on Tumblr. I haven't been following it closely but I have to say I really like both Raf Simons and Julius collection that were presented overnight, pictures featured below are not mine.. It was classic Raf bold, dynamic, pushing the boundaries of menswear and with a very clean aesthetic. The futuristic boots and sneakers the models wore complimented the outfits nicely adding a real edge to many looks that would have a vastly different feel with different shoes, the stand out for myself though were the jackets, the minimal detailing gives a fresh edgy look to some very well cut jackets that would be suitable in a formal or casual environment (see below). Julius' collection was a coming of age moment for he label in my eyes, I loved every look from the dominated by the expected monochromatic palette, the majority outfits were dominantly all black or white, but there were several looks that featured a fantastic black and white pattern somewhat reminiscent of an ink blot test, the individual pieces of the collection seem to have several possibilities for styling, as well as the shoes which I was amazed by, three varying style of boots, one with a zipper that runs vertically along the laces, another with multiple laces that give a wonderful layering effect, and the third that features Velcro ties and leather that extends all the way to the sole are easily my favourite, they have a very clean yet very modern look and I feel they capped off a fantastic collection from the team at Julius. I heard it said it was similar to earlier Rick Owens collections , while I accept that in menswear there is always an element of crossover, this doesn't ring true for me, Rick Owens alters and warps proportions a lot more with his collections while this collection especially from Julius features a more fitted aesthetic as well as the vast difference in materials and treatments used from what I've seen. I can see how you can compare the lines as they have a similar aesthetic but for me I don't see this as being overly similar to any Rick Owens collections.
That's all from me for now! thanks for reading while I ranted, stay tuned as I should be doing another photo shoot this weekend and will post that up as early as possible, have a nice weekend!
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| Raf Simons SS14 |
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| Raf Simons SS14 |
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| Raf Simons SS14 |
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| Raf Simons SS14 |
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| Raf Simons SS14 |
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| Raf Simons SS14 |
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| Raf Simons SS14 |
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| Julius SS14 |
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| Julius SS14 |
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| Julius SS14 |
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| Julius SS14 |
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| Julius SS14 |
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| Julius SS14 |
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