Sharpen Up
Saint Augustine Academy
As a regular fixture in Sydney's art and music scene, Saint Augustine Academy's collections are influenced by indie rock n roll and all its sub-cultures; from the sleekness of the mods to the hardness of the punks, from the darkness of the goths to the eccentricities of the New Romantics. Signature features of Saint Augustine Academy's collections are; a limited colour palette and directional tailoring. Moving forward, Saint Augustine Academy plans to increase their womenswear collections and introduce accessories and footwear. Saleswise, the label will be exploring new opportunities and stockists in Europe and Asia.
Saint Augustine Academy has dressed numerous international and local rock bands for events and appearances - including Nick Cave, MGMT, The XX, Bloc Party, Kasabian, Interpol, The Rapture, The Horrors and The Black Lips.
Visit the Saint Augustine Academy boutique at 642 Bourke St. Surry Hills, Sydney - or, if you're not in Sydney, don't worry - you've still got the opportunity to win these clothes by entering our competition to win one of five items from their collection
Interview with Alvin Manalo - Designer, Saint Augustine Academy
www.saintaugustineacademy.com.au
How did Saint Augustine Academy begin?
I actually studied economics at University, but realised that it wasn't for me when I found myself doodling cartoons in class. I'd always been a big music fan, and had long harboured ambitions to dress my favourite musicians. I decided that I'd give it a go and created my first, small range which consisted of men's t-shirts and denim. Over the years we gradually increased our presence in the Australian fashion industry by stocking in some of the country's best boutiques, as well as in the US and Asia. In June 2008 we opened our first stand-alone store in Surry Hills, Sydney.
What is the Saint Augustine Academy look?
Our signature features are skinny cut suiting for guys and feminine, yet edgy separates for women. We do a lot of tailored pieces i.e. a suit jacket with leather lapels or a women's tuxedo playsuit. I also always include more casual items that have a point of difference such as a t-shirt with an asymmetrical front panel. Each season we have our core items like skinny cut suit pants and a dress shirt with tails that continue to sell out.
Where do you find inspiration?
Music is always my biggest inspiration. I usually design a collection based around an album I'm listening to at the time. Although for this Autumn/Winter I was reading the novel And The Ass Saw the Angel by Australian singer Nick Cave, and found that to be a rich source of inspiration. Previous collections have been inspired by a variety of bands such as The Kinks, The Strokes and 60s girl groups. Most collections take their name from a song or album like last Summer when I called the range 'Do You Believe Her?' after the song of the same name by The Raveonettes.
What have been the highlights of your design career so far?
My working as a fashion designer, I've been privileged enough to get to meet some of my idols. Last year during the All Tomorrow's Parties festival, I got to meet Nick Cave and bring him some of my clothes to wear. We've also dressed bands like The Horrors, The Black Lips and MGMT. It's a pretty cool thing to see some of my favourite musicians wearing my designs on stage. It makes all the long days worth it!
What's next for Saint Augustine Academy?
Next up we are launching our Spring/Summer collection for 2010-2011. This is a new direction for the label as it is the first season we're producing a full womenswear range. We also have on our agenda a range of Saint Augustine Academy accessories, which we hope to develop in the near future. We will also continue to find new stockists around the world, with a focus on the European market.
