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    Now reading: class of 2017 — sydney student style, straight up

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    class of 2017 — sydney student style, straight up

    We’ve teamed up with photographers from all around Australia to capture student style across the country. First up Joe Brennan in Sydney checks out what the kids are loving, loathing and lusting after in our biggest city.

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    Jake, 21, studying architecture

    Do you feel people in your city have a certain fashion aesthetic?
    I feel like there aren’t prominent trends in Sydney, but a wide range of trends across different parts of the city. It’s extremely culturally diverse, so produces a great mix of eclecticism.

    What’s everywhere around uni at the moment?
    Raw hems and frayed jeans.

    What would you never wear?
    Acid wash denim.

    Who is your style hero?
    Style is a very personal mode of self representation so I don’t really have any style heroes that influence my dress, rather inspire it.

    Samantha, 21, completing an honours in fashion and textiles

    How do you feel Sydney style is unique to the rest of the country?
    I feel as though Sydney is extremely multi-cultural so it tends to adopt a more diverse range of styles and the way individuals express themselves. It all comes down to culture and access, not only physically but educationally.

    What’s something you’re seeing everywhere around uni at the moment?
    A lot of bag charms.

    What would you never wear?
    Anything camo or animal print.

    Describe your city’s style in one sentence?
    Comfortable yet conservative, expressed and influenced by global and high fashion trends.

    Kenneth Pan, 21, studying fashion and textiles design

    What factors do you think feed into how people dress in Sydney?
    We are just so far away. The lack of physical access and availability of labels leave the majority of the population in a void with a diluted sense of options and intentions to dress. We’re flooded by fast fashion chains and bear no heritage in craftsmanship, fashion should be that co-mingling of cultural richness, intersectionality and creativity.

    What would you never wear?
    Thongs – beach culture should not be the only selling point to this beautiful native land.

    Describe your city’s style in one sentence?
    Flaccid with fruitful potential.

    Who is your style hero?
    Rei Kawakubo.

    Gina, 22, studying communications in media arts and production

    Do you feel like people in your city have a certain fashion aesthetic?
    Yes, corporate beach — Dion Lee for Surfection.

    Do you feel it’s unique to the rest of the country?
    I think the mainstream doesn’t identify as cool here so there’s a bit more diversity and less to latch onto. People trying to create looks end up doing really different things. Also, Sydney’s coastal and bikini suburbs breed a health and beauty conscience that bleeds into mainstream style.

    What have you seen a lot of this year?
    Mullets and sleepers. Carabineer boys.

    Who is your style hero?
    2000s Madonna, Bai Ling and my best friend @angelrobertson. ME.

    What would you never wear?
    Camilla 2005 to 2017.

    Describe your city’s style in one sentence?
    Expensive basic items / Lara Bingle Tumblr-core with a bit of 80s Soviet / Australian pub-rat Sharpie.

    Jon, 21, studying fine arts

    Do people in your city have a certain fashion aesthetic?
    Sydney’s fashion aesthetic is so wild sometimes, I think we really don’t know what’s up so we dress so silly and people respond to that so that’s cool.

    What feeds into how people dress here?
    We have accessibility to everything in Sydney and a lot of people here, especially in these scenes are backed by $$$.

    Describe your city’s style in one sentence?
    Sydney City, we all look so pretty.

    Who is your style hero?
    Larry David.

    Lucy, 22, studying arts/languages

    Do people in your city have a certain fashion aesthetic?
    I don’t know that Sydney as a whole has a fashion aesthetic that I could put my finger on, I think it’s actually pretty variable. Like even within just my friendship group there’s a big difference in the way people dress but everyone’s style suits them. I think at the moment a lot of people’s aesthetic has a skater/90s/punk kinda vibe. There’s also a pretty big influence from Japanese fashion I think.

    What’s something you’re seeing everywhere around uni at the moment?
    Chains and camo, but no complaints there.

    What would you never wear?
    I’m pretty done with skinny jeans.

    Who is your style hero?
    Princess Nokia, Buffy, James Phlemuns and my girl Amber.

    Valerie, 19, studying art theory

    Do you feel people in your city have a certain fashion aesthetic?
    I think there’s a lot of diversity in the way people dress but there’s definitely an overarching Sydney vibe.

    What is it?
    “Too cool to care.”

    How do you feel Sydney’s unique?
    People dress a lot more comfortably in Sydney which I love. You gotta look good, sure, but if you can’t wear whatever you’re wearing to the beach on a whim then what’s the point?

    What’s something you’re seeing everywhere around uni at the moment?
    I love seeing my peers repping pieces by ex-Cofa kid and current jewellery superstar Danielle Karlikoff.

    Describe your city’s style in one sentence?
    Beach babes vs. vampires.

    Who is your style hero?
    My rabbi.

    Henry, 20, studying media arts

    Do you feel your city has a certain fashion aesthetic?
    Yes. Aussie ‘lad’ fashion is being incorporated more and more into people’s wardrobes. A huge thing right now is Nike TNs.

    Do you feel it’s unique to the rest of the country?
    There’s only one Western Sydney in Australia. I think Melbourne has a similar situation too though.

    What influences how people dress in Sydney?
    I think the internet has a much bigger influence on the way people dress than whether the person lives in Sydney or not. Being able to get inspiration from people all over world causes less of a unique sense of ‘Sydney fashion’.

    What’s something you’re seeing everywhere around uni at the moment?
    Earrings, there’s a whole lot of people getting them done recently. Also vintage high fashion labels.

    Who is your style hero?
    Balenciaga fall/winter 2017 runway.

    Credits


    Photography Joe Brennan

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