A Catch Up With Christian Kimber

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Christian Kimber. Kimber’s eponymous brand has won acclaim for reimagining the Australian lifestyle aesthetic. His collections focus on understated elegance and supreme wearability, combining fine craftsmanship with high-quality materials.

Christian's brand philosophy is closely aligned with our own, yet it has a strong, distinct aesthetic and voice. Over the course of a day and a bit, I put forward 13 questions to Christian. Here is what he had to say:

1. What is the one essential item you believe every man should have in his wardrobe?

A decent blazer. Dressed up or down, it can work on almost any occasion, giving the wearer an opportunity to dress a little better in most situations.

2. You often reference Australia’s landscapes in your collections. When you begin designing a new collection, do you typically start with a theme, a particular fabric, or another source of inspiration?

More often than not, initial inspiration comes from my clients. I like to let anecdotes about their lives, recent travels, or aspirations marinate with my own experiences, and this all gives context to the way I approach designing a new collection. As a theme emerges, the stories and places more specifically inform the way I conceive a new garment, develop a new fabric, or create accessories.

3. How do you balance maintaining commercial appeal and incorporating contemporary trends in your designs?

I divide my collections into permanent and seasonal categories. The permanent collections offer more timeless styles and shapes that will seamlessly fit into most wardrobes and pair well with almost anything in our collections more broadly. Seasonally, I create a slightly smaller range of pieces that speak to the creative inspiration driving me at that moment, offering more expressive interpretations of those ideas.

4. You have a great roster of celebrity clients. If you could dress any historical or contemporary figure, who would it be, and what would you create for them?

We have the pleasure of working with and dressing a range of inspiring men. The most fun I’ve had is working with people who know who they are and aren’t afraid to express it sartorially. For me, deeply understanding preconceived notions and rules around someone’s approach to dressing is where you add value and help them push the boundaries and be creative. It’s like jazz, more of a conversation than a statement. Miles Davis once said, ‘You have to learn the rules to break them’. Men with that clarity are always ideal to dress. Hugh Grant, Eddie Redmayne, and Chris Hemsworth would all be amazing to work with.

5. What is one common style mistake you often see men making, and how would you suggest they correct it?

Most men don’t truly understand their body shape, at least not in the same way or level of detail that a woman might – and in many cases, I believe this is where things go wrong. When you don’t understand your shape (even at least the archetype shape), you will shop by fashion rather than style, and it’s inevitable that garments that don’t make sense for your body won’t look great. We spend a lot of time with clients working through this at the outset of their relationship with us to ensure that, longer term, they end up with a wardrobe where not only do most pieces work with each other, but every look they construct from the set works perfectly for them.

6. What are three pieces you believe are worth investing in?

I believe it’s important to build a wardrobe thoughtfully over time, where every piece is an investment. However, I also appreciate that this needs to start somewhere, and the place I’d begin is with a decent pair of shoes, a blazer, and an overcoat. These are foundational pieces that can change the look and feel of any outfit, elevating them, defining the silhouette, and setting a tone of quality and aesthetic.

7. How do you incorporate sustainable practices in your designs while maintaining the quality and aesthetic you are known for?

We work with independent, family-run manufacturers, whom I meet with personally on an annual basis. We prioritise natural fibres for 98% of what we make. I avoid designing to trends, focus on tailoring garments perfectly to the owner, and we offer repairs and resizing services so men can continue wearing their garments for life. We’ve even converted to recycled and recyclable materials for our packaging. There’s a lot we’re doing, but we’re also adding new approaches and policies every season.

8. Men’s fashion has evolved significantly over the years—where do you see it heading?

Fashion generally follows a fairly predictable cycle, which I personally try not to pay too much attention to. While I see current trends heading back towards more formal and classic styles of tailoring, there will always be a place for more casual, more elevated, and of course, more creative dressing in any man’s wardrobe. At the luxury end of the spectrum, I see almost as much focus on silhouette and drape as we’ve come to expect in womenswear, which requires more technical construction and high-quality fabrications.

9. Fabric is such an integral part of any menswear collection. What are you currently fascinated by, and how are you integrating it into your work?

I’ve always been led by the quality, feel, and texture of fabrics; it’s foundational to my design process and just as importantly, how I create for the unique Australian lifestyle and climate (ice cotton, for instance). For me, it will always be about natural fibres, and there are some beautiful new combinations of materials that are producing really interesting outcomes at the moment. In particular, silk and linen, which in certain proportions give a soft and breathable experience while maintaining a beautiful drape.

10. Business always has an element of risk. Can you recall a time when you took a creative risk in your designs that proved successful? What was the outcome?

My runway at Australian Fashion Week in 2023 was the first time I showcased my vision for more formal occasionwear. This was a creative risk both in terms of the new course it charted for the brand offering and the designs themselves. I was definitely colouring outside the lines of formal dress codes, so to speak.

11. In your view, how has social media influenced men’s approach to fashion and style today?

I don’t have a lot of positive things to say about the broader impact of social media on society, but I will say this: it’s completely democratised menswear styling. The expertise that was once mystified is now available to anyone who wants to look for it, making it easy for any man to find a profile that showcases their body type and style and learn from it.

12. What is the one accessory you believe every man should own, and how would you advise them to incorporate it into their look?

A beautifully handmade leather belt. My current personal favourite is a chocolate brown suede number with gold hardware that’s lightly engraved with a western motif.

13. How do you like your coffee?

I don’t drink coffee a lot, but when I do, it’s a magic – that’s a double ristretto with steamed milk. So Melbourne.

Shop Christian Kimber