What is #menswear talking about? Pharrell is now a knight, Moncler opens its new Sydney flagship, Umi Nori drops its seventh collection
Plus, New Balance drops its hyped 204L, Rado gives the Captain Cook the his and hers treatment, and Franck Muller's new Sydney flagship is a haute horlogerie destination
By 
WELCOME TO ‘What is #menswear talking about?’, a weekly 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.
An American in Paris becomes a knight
Louis Vuitton menswear creative director Pharrell Williams was awarded France’s Légion d’honneur, the country’s highest civilian recognition equivalent to a knighthood. Announced in France’s official journal earlier this week ahead of Bastille Day, Williams joins 589 other recipients for their dedication to public and cultural service.
So large is Williams’, an American, output in designing the menswear for the world’s most valuable luxury brand, he’s proven you need not be French to become a knight. Former Dior Men’s designer Kim Jones, a Brit, was awarded his earlier this year. Now, Williams joins the ranks of knighted fashion luminaries including Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix.
Moncler opens its new Sydney flagship
Closing in on dressing Australians in their French ski-gear for almost a decade, Moncler has opened its newest Sydney flagship store. Designed with long-time collaborators Gilles & Boissier, known for their contemporary French architectural style, the newly opened space mixes geometry and material: Versailles parquet floors lie in contrast to arches, austere marble is softened with warm oaks. It feels like a noble club at the top of the Alps – and with our winter, it certainly feels like it.
In saying that, it arrives in time for the local snow high season. As those among us pack their gear for the slopes, pop in for the label’s latest collections in men’s, women’s and children’s wear. And with this being the city’s flagship (and essentially the country’s), pieces from their much-hyped collaborations will be stocked here – most recently with the minimalist Jil Sander.
Shop 3302, Level 3, Westfield Sydney, Entry via Market Street, 101 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Umi Nori unveils its cinematic new collection
This shift towards opulent tailoring has been at the top of my mind since winter started. No setting made it more evident than Umi Nori’s unveiling of its seventh collection during an intimate gathering of friends, family and clients in Marrickville’s Baba’s Place, where the invite read “Dress code: Black tie”. Despite living in a country known for its lax dress sense, surprisingly, everyone obliged. Hosts Zi Nori and Roman Jody, the minds behind the brand, made it a welcome evening to bring out your bow ties and finer eveningwear – they are Australia’s anti-dapper tailors, after all.
What followed was a short film starring the actor and musician Bryn Chapman Parish, seen wandering through an empty grand property in the brand’s latest wares. With the film’s setting informing the collection, it was nothing short of opulent: a silk jacquard robe, a pinstripe suit, a houndstooth skirt suit, a ruby red velvet suit, an operatic fox fur overcoat. Pieces for everyday, a first for the brand, were also introduced: a Japanese denim set featuring a cropped jacket and wide-leg, double-pleated jeans, as well as a flannel overcoat. The brand has been Australia’s north star since 2019 in crafting a well-made suit to feel confident in, but the breadth of its new collection marks a shift in how guys want their tailoring more broadly: more opulent.
New Balance’s hyped-up 204L is dropping
If you’ve been coveting the New Balance x Miu Miu 530SL, the Boston-based athletic brand has unveiled its latest 204L (and without the four-figure designer price tag). Featuring a similar slim silhouette, the release comes at the height of noughties running-inspired footwear. Two colourways of a stone beige and snow white will be available, made out of smooth suede placed to form the brand’s iconic arced lines. (And at a time of fashion dupes and accessorising, eat your heart out with this one.)
The New Balance 204L drops on July 30 at 10 am (AEST) in stores and online; $190.
Rado‘s Captain Cook gets the his and hers treatment
Two new releases from Rado give new meaning to ‘his & hers’ sets. While both models take inspiration from the Swiss watchmaker’s iconic Captain Cook model (first introduced in 1962), the one for ‘him’ features a visually powerful turquoise-to-black dial, surrounded by a matching black ceramic bezel, harking back to its sea-faring namesake. The watches also feature a smaller case diameter and bracelets made of stainless steel – a spirit built for endurance and an active lifestyle on the ocean, meaning it’s, naturally, water-resistant up to 300 metres.
Learn more about the watch here; $4,100.
Franck Muller’s new Sydney flagship is the region’s destination for haute horlogerie
Swiss haute horlogerie in Australia has a new face. ‘Master of Complications’ Franck Muller opens its new Sydney flagship at 122 Castlereagh Street. In the plush space, VIPs and the newly-acquainted can have a feel of the brand’s full collection and region exclusives, chief among them (and our favourites) being the Cintrée Curvex and Vanguard, and the APAC exclusive Long Island Evolution. Speaking to the latter, the space marks an important step in haute horlogerie’s presence in the region, meaning the thoroughfare will be a destination for the niche.
122 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.
Related:
Jonathan Anderson joins Dior Men’s. Here’s what to expect
Jack Draper on court style, summer in London and life after winning Indian Wells
