Australia may be the birthplace of the ugg boot, but we are leading the fashion stakes
“We are not fussy and we are not pretentious. The same applies to the way that we dress.”
Albus Lumen “Lucia” dress with crystal scarf, $2340. Paspaley “Delfni Blue” pearl choker, $16,800 (worn throughout).Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
The sand from our beaches is invasive. It gets into shoes, bags and bathers with a persistence that resists even the most aggressive loofahs. Think of it as Australian glitter. Along with bikini bottoms and board shorts, it follows us home and infiltrates every aspect of our wardrobes and the way we dress.
“There is a sense of freedom to Australian style that always goes back to the beach,” says Sunday Life fashion editor Penny McCarthy. “It’s very relaxed, easy and breezy. There’s plenty of room to make your own rules.”
Even as local labels such as Rebecca Vallance, Sir and Christopher Esber show the world levels of sophistication unexpected from the birthplace of the ugg boot, it’s the way Australians wear their full skirts and fitted dresses that defines us.
“It’s that look of either having come straight from the beach, or that at any opportunity you’re ready to strip off and dive beneath the waves,” says Penny.
Albus Lumen “Traveller” T-shirt, $149. Blanca “Rio” skirt, $290.Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
So it makes sense that swimsuits are at the beating heart of some of our most successful brands. Before considering a high-necked floral dress with covered buttons from Zimmermann, most people tried one of their swimsuits and Venroy made board shorts years before the label stitched their first linen pants.
Bondi Born now sells dresses in the Middle East and London but was started by businesswoman Dale McCarthy in 2015 with a range of one-piece swimsuits.
“There’s no getting around the fact that Australia is a laid-back country,” Dale says. “We are not fussy and we are not pretentious. The same applies to the way that we dress. Fussy doesn’t really work here. It all goes back to nature and the beach.”
Zimmermann “Crush” dress, $1950.Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
While building her brand, Dale discovered that nailing the easygoing simplicity of the Australian approach to dressing was hard work.
“It’s all about having the right ingredients – just ask Neil Perry, who has redefined Australian style with his food, or architect Luigi Rosselli. Like these masters, we have to find the right ingredients for fashion. You can do swimwear with lots of frills and embellishments but creating something simple requires the best possible fabrics. The less is more approach requires effort.”
Having developed custom fabrics for Bondi Born swimwear, Dale has taken the same considered approach to the brand’s clothing. There’s an ease to sarong skirts that can be pulled over swimwear to elegantly make the transition from surf to turf after a good towelling off.
Scanlan Theodore bustier and skirt, $1800.Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
At the opening show of Australian Fashion Week in May, designer Marina Afonina captured the adaptability of this country’s style by pairing bikini tops with long skirts and T-shirts over sensual sheer pieces. Models had their hair loose and parted down the middle, with pearl necklaces adding an unexpected touch of refinement.
“The beaches are always there when you think of Australian style,” says Afonina. “A young Elle Macpherson in a swimsuit with zinc on her nose is the first image that comes to mind. Everyone loves the warm weather and the colour it brings. Let’s face it, as a country we don’t do winter well.”
Raised in Russia before moving to Australia when she was 17, Afonina still has an outsider’s view of the country. For her, the relative youth of our capital cities helps keep the focus on nature and the great outdoors when it comes to defining our style. “Europe is an old culture where generations of culture inform your style through the architecture,” she says. “It’s in the walls.”
Bondi Born “Lana” bikini top, $150, and “Ardea” skirt, $395. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
Furrowing her Eastern European brow, Afonina worries that some of the freedom she loves about Australian style is disappearing because of fast fashion and social media. “I wonder where the courage is. You look around and some people are like sheep. Why are all of my friends wearing the same trench coat? We need new brave icons. Where is the new Elle?”
That confidence might come from other corners of the world, with buyers in Paris and Milan always impressed by the way we pull ourselves together.
“I think people are always surprised that Australians can have style, but it’s part of the reason why people around the world love us,” Afonina says. “Of course, they think we have kangaroos everywhere. But they pick up on our relaxed manner by the way we dress.”
Beare Park “Joyce” dress, $820. Venroy “Balconette” bikini top, $140. Model’s own jeans.Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford
For Afonina, the trick is to ignore fast fashion and invest in pieces that can be worn from summer to summer and make you smile wider than the Nullarbor Plain.
“Australian style is still evolving,” she says. “But moving forward we need to dress thinking about the fun and freedom of the beach, no matter where we are going.”
Fashion editor, Penny McCarthy; Hair, Heidi Scarlett King using O&M Hair; Make-up, Aimie Fiebig for Rare Beauty; Model Asti at Kult.
STOCKISTS Albus Lumen; Beare Park; Blanca; Bondi Born; Paspaley; Scanlan Theodore; Venroy; Zimmermann
Get the best of Sunday Life magazine delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up here for our free newsletter.