Australian brands, new and old

Fashion and more from down under

G’day from Sydney, Australia. I’m rounding the end of my wonderful vacation having fallen more in love with the city than I ever anticipated. That’s in part thanks to the fabulous people I’ve gotten to hang out with—a longtime public radio host, the country’s most beloved theatre actress, a reality TV psychologist, a homegrown vodka distiller, and of course, Deborah Thomas.

Deb was editor-in-chief of Women’s Weekly, Elle, Cleo…she’s a fashion icon. While staying at her house in the adorable town of Berrima, I got a peek inside her hat closet. She started with a Philip Treacy—and it only got crazier from there. Before I left, she gave me a pair of Robert Clergerie’s and told me to wear them well.

Inspired by Deb, today’s newsletter is all about Australian fashion. To be honest, I had no idea that Sydney was such a fashion capital. But I’ve done more shopping here than I have in any other city on earth. My suitcase is stuffed to the brim. That’s in part thanks to the exciting young designers shaping the city’s new look, and the excellent curation of the local boutiques.

So this post is broken down into brands both new and old (including fashion and others), and boutiques you can shop online and IRL—many of which are having noteworthy Black Friday sales as we speak.

Australian brands

First up, the new(ish) kids on the block. Many of these are brands I was already familiar with, but only discovered on this trip are Australian-made.

On the more upscale end, we have quiet luxury staples like St. Agni and Lee Matthews, while in the more DIY realm, Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp is running the game. For the prepsters amongst us, Haulier makes some gorgeous pieces; I especially think one of their totes would be a good holiday gift for a man. I already owned a piece from Wynn Hamlyn, which makes excellent garments for travel, and I’ve long seen Emily Watson’s collections popping up at some of my fave US boutiques. For the boys, Man-tle is producing great classics. And of course, two of my perennial favorites which have appeared multiple times in this newsletter—Deiji Studios (which is also currently having their Black Friday sale) and all is a gentle spring.

From left to right: Lee Matthews pants (LM, ~$292USD), St. Agni white shoulder bag (Ssense, $158 $210), Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp red cutout tshirt (RTTS, ~$91USD), all is a gentle spring pistachio tee (AIAGS, $170), St. Agni purple tee (Ssense, $110), Haulier brown bag (Haulier, $473 $675), Emily Watson black skirt (Ssense, $218 $445), Wynn Hamlyn red tee (Ssense, $169 $245), Man-tle black shorts (Man-tle, ~$319USD), Deiji boxers (Deiji, ~$51USD)

BTW if you DM Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp on IG, you can buy what I think is one of the best gifts on the market—a DIY sublimated tank set. Hard to explain what this is but trust me, it’s cool.

Next up, homeware brands.