Farage shows the power of a perfect suit
Known for his classic tailoring and eye for jewel tones, Farage’s co-ed collection at Australian Fashion Week made a case for power dressing
By 
IF YOU WERE going to spot the musician Luke Hemmings anywhere this Australian Fashion Week, it would be front row at the Farage show. The former 5SOS lead singer has carved out his solo career stage presence with the help of some of the world’s most esteemed brands and tailors. And so, on Tuesday evening at Sydney’s Carriageworks, where Hemmings made the trip from his adopted home in L.A., you could surmise that he might be looking for his next tour wardrobe from homegrown talent.
The Farage brand attracts a similar crowd of sharp looking attendees. Certainly, as I entered, family and friends of the label took to evening attire; I felt underdressed in my now-rumpled pleated trousers and suede jacket I’d been wearing all day working from Carriageworks. But a signal, as I took it, came in the opening looks of casually layered tailoring that designer Joe Farage led with. My dress-code inadequacy subsided.
A co-ed collection, the first womenswear look came in a tightly belted trench coat over a red tie and white shirt, its collar propped up in a hurry like a detective. Menswear followed after with similar ideas of durable outerwear over elegant tailoring: a shine-slicked nylon parka offered a swish to the woollen suit underneath. Interestingly, along with the aviators, it was clear what direction tailoring more broadly is heading: the 1980s.
Charcoal double-breasted suits were padded in the shoulders and tapered into a narrow waist, for men and women; the power shoulders were enough to cut through as one of the week’s strongest tailored looks. No accident, the office-siren has now evolved, with Patrick Bateman – American Psycho becoming a chronic touchpoint for tailoring today.
As the show flowed, the grey pinstripes were switched out with Farage’s knack for jewel tones. A turquoise three-piece suit, worn with a singlet underneath, marked this shift in menswear; a pink suit with fanged peak lapels with a moirée fabric, also worn shirtless, was its womenswear counterpart. “His and hers,” Esquire’s fashion assistant Kailee Waller chimed as a male and female model in identical ochre double-breasted suits followed each other out.
Indeed, if you’re shopping with a partner in mind, this is one of the rare instances this fashion week where certain pieces and styles are interchangeable from across the aisle, and a lot of this is simply a lesson in styling. Take the bomber jacket on a womenswear look, worn with boots, a shirt and tie tucked into a skirt, which can be imagined on just about any of the menswear looks. Or borrow a slouchy nylon parka, a good idea as the rain continued outside. More gendered interpretations on tailoring were also a feature, namely a double-breasted pinstripe suit that fell into a train – an instant ‘best-dressed’ title would follow if you were at the Met Gala last week.
The baroque character that made Farage a staple on the local fashion landscape came towards the end, as a male and female model walked together in a grey and black velvet suit, respectively, with jewelled embroidery running up the arm. A fitting look for a pop-star; thankfully Hemmings was there.
Related:
The definitive guide to men’s suits, from nailing the perfect fit to the best brands
