Kimber,the winner of the National Designer of the Year in 2019,has built a reputation for translating the relaxed elegance of Italian menswear into an Australian design language for Melbourne’s cashmere-loving corporate set.
It was his well-heeled clientele that set the Italian looms in motion for straight-legged jeans.
“My whole business has been client-based,creating pieces that the customer demands,and now they want denim to wear to work. People want to express their individuality in the office,feel comfortable and still look smart.”
Before reaching for your compression tights and trying to squeeze back into skinny jeans or dusting off your bumsters with frayed holes at the knees,Kimber is advocating a streamlined approach for jeans on junior executives.
“It’s all about having a higher rise at the front,using Italian denim that feel more like a trouser. They are slightly wider at the knee because Australian men are active and like freedom of movement. There are no embellishments and no logos.”
The relaxed approach to office attire is being taken even further internationally,with luxury e-tailer The Outnet,part of the Net-a-Porter group,seeing a shift in buying habits on its new,dedicated men’s section.