16/01/2024
Here’s Ollie. Doesn’t he look like a gem of a human? That would be cos he IS. Exactly one hundred years ago I was Ollie’s manager in a team I ran at the City of Perth. He trusted me to mentor and promote him. He has a stunning work ethic and leadership attributes.
When he entered his first body building competition, I went along to support him. And when I needed a manly face for Aesthetica, he generously obliged.
From the very beginning, it’s been important to me that Aesthetica looks after men as well as women. The challenges each gender face when it comes to style, clothes and confidence are equally compelling.
In many ways, it can be harder for men to connect with their style because well, have you noticed the percentage of male-oriented stores vs female oriented stores? Fashion is one of the few areas that women probably have more choice than men do so it poses an interesting situation.
Also, in a hyper macho culture like Australia, men are typically socialised to blank their feelings. A large part of connecting to style is connecting to self. If society says this isn’t ‘what you do’ then it can feel foreign and typically we avoid the things that feel foreign.
So, enter Ollie, the male face of Aesthetica. Once again, he trusted me to guide him through a styling process by experimenting with new looks that allowed him to see a different version of himself. He was curious, willing and held lightly the idea that his current clothing choices were the only clothing choices for him.
It’s a delight to look after all my lady clients and see them transform. It’s mesmerizing to watch men drop into a safe space and start to have fun with clothes. A lot of men have a lot to say about clothes and I consider it part of my calling to welcome this and in so doing kick in the dick this ideal that men shouldn’t have emotions.
We are all human. We all feel. We all have identity. We all have clothes. They are all inextricably linked, regardless of your gender.