Bite-sized style news to know what’s happening in menswear this August/September
R.M. Williams celebrates Father's Day with Bryan Brown, Panerai goes all in at Hamilton Island Race Week, Burberry goes to town, and more
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WELCOME TO ‘Bite-sized style news’, a monthly dispatch where we discuss the news, rumours and conversations that are dominating the men’s style discourse, and therefore, our Esquire water cooler chitchat.
Scroll on for this week’s edition.
Must visit: Belancē celebrates the opening of its Melbourne showroom with 1800 Tequila
For Melbourne readers, good news: Sydney-based tailor Belancē is now in your city. Designer Oscar Leal unveiled his new Melbourne space last week to an intimate crowd of clients (who would formerly travel to Sydney) and friends of the brand. All the while, attendees cheered with a glass of the exclusive cocktail ‘Made To Measure’, 1800 Milenio and 1800 Cristalino that the tailoring label concocted with 1800 Tequila, to celebrate the new space. Served neat, it was a no-brainer to partner the two brands: a night that explored the detail, elegance, and storytelling that goes into tequila as much as beautifully tailored suit.
The Fendi Lui bag enters its soft era
First seen on the men’s autumn/winter 2025 runway earlier this year, Fendi’s softer Lui bag has arrived in stores. Made out of supple grained leather, the practical messenger bag was first launched in 2016 to much fanfare that a men’s bag can do it all: be stylish and fit all your daily essentials. Coming in sizes from small enough for a lunch to big enough for a laptop, the new Lui also comes in a variety of neutral tones from black to brown – making it a versatile and elegant addition to your wardrobe as we head into peak social season.
Discover and buy the bag here.
Australia’s leading ocean conservation fundraiser celebrates a milestone
Ten years ago, Susan Rockefeller told Ryan Gollan: “Protect what is precious.” That seed grew into The Sapphire Dinner, Australia’s premier ocean conservation fundraiser, which marked its fifth anniversary at Sydney’s Carriageworks by raising $1.5 million in a single night.
Co-chaired by Gollan and philanthropist Hayley Baillie, The Sapphire Project has raised over $5 million since 2021. “The ocean gives us every second breath, yet it has no voice,” Gollan said. “Sapphire is about raising each other up.”
The 300 guests, dressed in “Creative Black Tie” recycled couture, experienced ocean-inspired LED projections by d’strict, a zero-waste gourmet dinner, and a Tiffany Blue Box raffle. Performances by Davide Giovanni and David Berry, plus an after-party by Daimon Downey, capped the evening.
Committee member Ian Thorpe AM, Sapphire’s Ocean Ambassador, said: “It’s not just about raising funds; it’s about creating a movement.” Funds will support the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Great Southern Reef Foundation, Sea Forest Foundation, Surfers for Climate, and Preserving Australia’s Unique Seadragons.
The night also launched Young Sapphires, empowering the next generation of ocean stewards. “Philanthropy is all about connection,” Gollan reflected. “Small ripples, together, can become a wave.”
Taylor Fritz wants you to ‘Be Your Own BOSS’
In time for their autumn/winter 2025 collection hitting stores, German fashion brand BOSS has unveiled its latest campaign featuring brand ambassadors in its latest wares. From the men’s tennis world number four Taylor Fritz to the classically trained English actor Aaron Pierre, the assembled cast spans sport to culture and music to celebrate the collection’s ethos of ambition, self-expression and the relentless pursuit of greatness. Arriving in stores and online, it’s time to dress yourself the collection’s rich, warm tones of sage to decadent chocolate browns, to, in the words of the ambassadors, ‘Be Your Own BOSS’.
Shop the collection here.
Escape to the country with Carl Friedrik’s latest luggage collection
How much of your luggage should match your holiday? For London-based luggage maker Carl Friedrik, it’s all of it. In their new autumn/winter collection, the brand adds a new dark olive and black colourway to its catalogue, accommodating the shift in season for those in the northern hemisphere. But the earthy tones can, and should, be co-opted for even our climate. Spanning their core luggage and Sonder leather goods line, their suitcases, weekend bags, and backpacks easily blend in for road-trips up the coast, adventures into the bush, or treks across the outback. And if you fancy yourself the weekend getaway leaving work on a Friday afternoon, their backpacks also blend in at the office.
Shop the collection here.
Salomon opens its new Melbourne store
It’s about time Salomon set its roots in Australia. Unveiled this week in Melbourne, the performance gear brand opened its flagship in the heart of the city’s luxury precinct, the Emporium. Bringing together brand ambassadors, Australian media and special guests, the evening marks was an important step in the French brand’s growth in the country, catering to its established and growing style communities.
R.M. Williams celebrates Father’s Day with Bryan Brown
As Father’s Day nears on September 7, prepare to show just how grateful you are for the father figures in your life. Just as the filmmaker Matilda Brown did recently with her legendary actor father Bryan Brown, in a new campaign for R.M. Williams. Dressed in the brand’s heritage wares, the shoot celebrated the quieter moments of fatherhood: spending time with family, admiring the life he’s built on his northern New South Wales property.
“Fatherhood has shaped me because when you’re a father, you stop thinking about yourself – it’s their life that’s far more important than your own,” Brown shares in a statement. “And the best part? When we’re all just bloody silly together, enjoying the fact we’re alive. Silly is really bloody important.”
And as three generations of Browns joined in for the shoot, what’s the Cocktail actor reflecting on this Father’s Day? “Be grateful for the fact you can wake up every day and you’ve got something to do. Be grateful for life.”
Panerai goes all in for Hamilton Island Race Week
At this year’s Hamilton Island Race Week, which runs from August 16 to 23, a fresh face comes aboard. Italian-Swiss watchmaker Panerai joins the Australian sailing event as an official partner this year; a no-brainer pairing its maritime heritage with one of the country’s most prestigious sailing events.
If you happen to be on the island for race week, be sure to check out Panerai’s exclusive pop-up boutique at the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, where race participants, guests, and watch collectors can feel its world of precision watchmaking, Italian design, and maritime heritage up close.
Dr Martens x MM6 Maison Margiela‘s super clean second collab
Partnering up for the second time, iconic British footwear label Dr Martens and avant-garde Parisian house Maison Margiela are reimagining the iconic 1460 boot and Penton loafer. Bringing MM6’s subversive lens, the two styles feature an all-white construction (no yellow sole stitching) for a clean effect. More on that note, the two labels hybridise the 1461 shoe with the boot and loafers. The result: the kind of shoes your avant-garde friend’s new favourite shoes.
Buy the shoes here:
1460 / 1461 white boots
Penton / 1461 white loafers
Burberry goes to town
As the northern hemisphere enters the last few weeks of summer, so begins the return to the city. Known understands this better than British heritage label Burberry, whose outdoors-y wares blend can be worn just as well in London. To mark this annual urban migration, Burberry assembled a cast of the city’s biggest personalities in fashion and culture as they boarded an open-top double-decker bus.
“Think of it as a guided tour of this incredible city,” creative director Daniel Lee said in a statement. “A celebration of its famous skyline, the beautiful buildings and the Londoners who choose to call it home.” Indeed, the iconic backdrop highlighted how the country heritage pieces can make it in the city – the kind of stylish yet functional trench coats and outerwear that’ll take you from Hoxton to the Highlands.
Related:
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