Summary
The Rake , other photos from Steve Calder's personal collection / Article updated 05/24/22)Do you like to understand the behind the scenes of a brand? Discover the other Déclic interviews already published.
- Bastong - Alt Ki
- LaneFortyFive - Tanmay Saxena
- Ardentes Clipei - Romain Biette
- Jacques & Demeter - Maxime Van Rothem
- Laperruque - Robin Nozay & Robin Hureau
- Well Made - Déborah Sitbon Neuberg
- The Modest - Laëtitia Modeste
- 1ST PAT-RN - Cristiano Berto & Silvia Piccin
- The Urban Hippie
- The Fattorialist
A few weeks ago, I picked up my Tintin reporter kit to meet some musicians from rock, song and electronic music. The idea was simple: collect their story with clothing, and more particularly with the Perfecto . It must be believed that I liked the return to this exercise and that I wanted to extend it to those who make or experience today's fashion throughout the world: this new written format is for them. fully dedicated.
Do you want to know more about what makes us one day cross the boundaries of passion towards those of action or creation? Welcome to Déclic , our new meeting: interviews around the style and life (past/present) of each guest , like an intimate fashion story that is reinvented each time.
Our first guest lives on the other side of the world. Some of you may even be wearing his clothes. Steve Calder works in Melbourne, Australia and has been running the Informale brand since 2018 . Let's be honest, we've been wanting to know a little more about him for a while.
THE FIRST STEPS WITH FASHION
“I moved to Australia from New Zealand when I was 12 and I remember becoming friends with a bunch of skateboarders. At the time, everyone wore Globe shoes (big, flat, kind of ugly) and I really wanted a pair “to be cool,” but my parents couldn't afford them.
So I ended up buying an equivalent pair from a less recognized brand. I guess it’s my first memory of both fashion, and not conforming to other people’s expectations! »
THE INFLUENCE OF SKATE AND PUNK-ROCK
“Like many, I changed my style a few times during my adolescence (around 2003-2007). First it was skater style with baggy clothes, then "punk rock" and "emo", the opposite with really skinny cuts, ripped jeans, stupid long bangs and spiky hair.
Most of my influences at the time came from bands like Blink-182 and Yellowcard . If I learned anything from this period, it's that this look really wasn't for me. »
THE CHANGE TOWARDS FASHION AND THE CREATION OF THE INFORMAL BRAND
“When I started working in menswear at 15, my manager had a lot of experience in retail. He worked the old way. I was a shy and awkward child and I admired him a lot. He became friends with his clients, who always came back to ask him for advice.
After working with him, I realized my love for men's fashion and my desire to help others on their style journey . I worked for different tailoring and luxury brands before launching my own business.
The evolution happened naturally for me: I discovered a passion for design, I started to mix my tailoring knowledge with other styles and when I discovered our small workshop in Melbourne, everything fell into place. is put in place. Informale was born! »
PASSIONS AND INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF CLOTHING
“I love music (old school hip-hop), driving my new Mini, sports and of course traveling! »
THE AUSTRALIAN SUN AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE WAY OF DRESSING
“Living in Melbourne really impacts the clothes I wear and design. I think the reason I wear so much "summer" clothes is because the temperature rarely drops below 10°C during the day here in the winter.
Of course our summers are also very hot, so most of our clothes are suitable for this climate. We must also keep in mind that in Australia, we have no real heritage in terms of fashion , which gives us much more freedom to mix different styles and cultures, to create something that resembles us, without necessarily being feeling too judged by others. It's the perfect place to experiment with a brand like ours. »
VOLUME AND LOOSE TROUSERS
“For many years, I strongly favored slightly fitted cuts, coming from my experience with a major Italian tailoring brand. When I went to Pitti Uomo for the first time in 2017, I saw all these guys from Japan and South Korea wearing amazing loose clothes, a mix of military surplus and more tailoring inspirations and I found that was so cool (and I still think so)!
Back home, I started experimenting with relaxed fits and fell in love with the comfort, drape as well as timelessness of this style. »
TRENDS, FASHION AND VINTAGE
“I'm very careful about what new styles I add to my wardrobe, but sometimes I really enjoy some of the trends that come and go.
Generally speaking, if there's a little story or a discreet vintage connotation, I love it. Until a while ago, I didn't like following these trends, but where's the fun in that? »
FETISH PIECES AND PERSONAL WARDROBE
“Naturally, my clothes come almost entirely from Informale. I do, however, have a G-1 lambskin Flight Jacket that my friends at Craftsman Clothing made for me a few years ago that I love, and an old Levi's denim shirt that I bought new a year ago. 12 years ago and I still wear it.
My all-time favorite pieces are my Omega Speedmaster Reduced and my Alden loafers. I know I will always wear them. »
FASHION, THE WORLD AND ITS NEWS
“I like to see what other independent brands are doing around the world (it makes me very happy to see other people like us succeed) and sometimes certain luxury houses. It is important to stay informed about what is happening in our field. As long as it doesn't distract us from the most important thing: our own brand. »
OBSESSIONS AND DESIRES FOR THE FUTURE
“I would really like to hunt more in vintage stores around the world and try to find really unique old clothes to wear personally and/or use as references for my work.
For me, there is something very pure about clothes made a long time ago . At the time, there was a mindset of sustainability, true craftsmanship and pride. Something that we are trying to bring up to date with Informale. »
To find out more about our collaboration with Informale:
