It’s not just anyone who can make crotch-skimming shots look appropriate for wearing while conducting boardroom meetings, but Christopher Esber nailed it last month at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia.
Now he’s dropped the lookbook for Autumn Winter 2014 and it’s an equally unexpected blend of Australian cool and corporate dress code adherence. Coats are both billowing and structured, and sleek maxi-length dresses with intricate details wouldn’t look weird as (very expensive) beach cover-ups. Though one of the most satisfying things with Esber is how seamlessly everything would appear to slide into your existing wardrobe, which is emphasized here in pragmatic layering. Both you and your mum would approve of a turtleneck sweater under a heavy vest.
Of course, it would be rude not to mention textiles. As the winner of the Australian leg of the International Woolmark Prize last year, just one of the many industry accolades he’s picked up in recent seasons, Esber is helping illustrate the diverse potential of knitwear. Also, sustainability! You can’t argue with that.
Esber tapped highly underrated model Charlotte Coquelin for the campaign, which was shot around the Pont Alexandre III in Paris. Photographer James Nelson’s gritty shots of the opulently decorated bridge are pretty on par with Esber’s raw, minimalist aesthetic (and perfectly complementary to Coquelin’s face).
