Last Friday evening, I attended a VIP and Media party at the Ubermen Flagship Store on George Street, Brisbane. Now I have to be honest, menswear has never really thrilled me - but man, oh man, it does now!
When I was greeted by a CLA45 Merc parked casually alongside a red carpet, I knew this wasn't going to be my average trip to a menswear store. The wine was flowing, the tunes were on point and the room was buzzing. There was definitely a sense of anticipation and excitement in the air.
Ubermen Brisbane is their first stand - alone store with a huge collection of diverse men's fashion for the corporate man, the hipster and even the backpacker! The quality of the garments is outstanding and sophisticated in its detail. The fashions are conceptualised in Brisbane, making it unique to the city's laidback lifestyle and culture.
While I was initially heavily distracted by the napkin ring sized bling on MC Karl Schwantes (of Xennox Diamonds) bowtie, I soon came to realise that there was much more behind Ubermen. Ubermen is passionate about its mission to carve a new identity for Brisbane, through fashion. When we look at fashion capitals around the world, such as Paris and New York, there is an intrinsic link to fashion and how it has shaped each city's culture and identity. Recently, we have often heard Brisbane referred to as "A New World City" and this is why Ubermen believes that Brisbane's time is now. Ubermen plans to put Brisbane on the map as a fashion hub that reflects our unique lifestyle - remembering that laidback doesn't have to mean style - less.
But it also wants to stay connected to Brisbane at a grassroots level, not only by promoting the talents of local designers, but by forging and maintaining strong community links with local charities, such as I Can I Will, with 15% of the evening's sales going directly to them.
There was an incredible showcase of fashion, from innovative Brisbane based designers - Ubermen, Model Citizen, The 400 Co and The Great Beyond. From corporate attire to eco friendly, sustainable fashion, I was simply blown away by the talent we have in our own city.
Yes, Brisbane is definitely on its way to shedding its country bumpkin image of the past and embracing a new and exciting future. I left the evening feeling uber-pumped about Brisbane's evolving fashion scene and felt certain that our fashion future is in very good hands!
Thanks for reading!
Ange x