Aug 8, 2025 People
R.M.Williams boots
This was my first pair of R.M.Williams, bought in 2015. I got them from Pat Menzies on Queen St — they didn’t have R.M.Williams stores back then. They’re an amazing everyday boot — I’ve worn them to death, but they just keep going. With a few polishes, they’re still looking good and aren’t headed for the tip any time soon. They’ve gone around the world with me, too — I’ve lived in Sydney and London and back again and they’ve been with me that whole time.
Plaid shirt and black jeans
This shirt is a few years old now. It’s perfect — you can throw it on with anything, and it comes out every winter without fail. I like the ashy-blue colour, not one of those really in-your-face Swanndri colours — the red or the blue or the green. It’s a little more subtle, so it stands the test of time a little more in my wardrobe. As you can see, there’s not a lot of colour. There’s a reason for that: black is a photographer’s uniform, because when you’re on set, especially on location, if you’re wearing white or a bright colour, the light bounces off your clothes and can interfere with your subject. Classic New Zealand — no one really cares about that here, you go to a shoot and everyone’s in colours or whites — but overseas everyone’s in black. You’ll get sent home if you’re not wearing black. That’s the uniform. You don’t want to be that guy telling people to wear black, but there is a reason for it. And I’ve moved so much, usually just with a suitcase, so only the practical things survive, like these R.M.Williams jeans.
Belt
I picked up this belt on some recent travels in the USA. It’s from this big country-western store which does leather and all the cool American Western stuff. It’s obviously hard-wearing, too. I’ve had this for a few years and I recently lost quite a bit of weight and had to put another hole in it to keep it going, which is funny because it’s normally the other way around as people get bigger. I took it to Gemmell’s on Symonds St, who fix everything leather. I prefer to get things fixed or redone, to get more longevity out of things — not be wasteful. I admire brands with that ethos.
Leather
I got this Acne Studios leather jacket in 2010 from Fabric when they were on High St. It’s the only thing I’ve ever layby’d in my life. I think it took months to pay off. It’s so different now when you get things and then pay them off — who wants to pay something off after you’ve worn it? It was about $800 back then — I was a student so that was heaps. Like the boots, the jacket has been around the world with me — I’ve dragged it everywhere. It’s getting a little bit small, and I’ve tried to find the one size bigger — sometimes they pop up online — but they don’t have the same story. This is the one that I wore in and has my DNA all over it, so it’s something I’ll probably hang on to forever, even if I don’t wear it. I actually think it’s already made an appearance in Metro eight or nine years ago. I’m sure there’s a photo of me in it, because my mum still has a copy of the issue.
Sunglasses
I first bought these from a friend in LA for like $50 in 2019. They’re so scratched up that they’re unwearable almost — they’ve been worn so much. I tried to get the lenses repaired at this place that repairs glasses in the suburbs — it’s this little shed in the middle of nowhere and there’s this team of people fixing eyewear. They couldn’t replace the lenses because they’re really flat, so I was scouring the internet for another pair and I found a random store in Norway that had one. I couldn’t believe my luck, I was so stoked!
Hats
I keep my head shaved so I wear a lot of hats.
Jacket
Being 6’4″, it’s hard to find proper-sized things. I’m always the biggest size in everything. This was just the perfect oversized jacket — anything oversize is especially hard to find. It goes with everything and it saves everything because it has that element of tailoring. It’s big but still refined, with a really nice drape to it. I ordered it online, too, so I didn’t know how good it was going to be until it arrived. A real winner.
Suit
My only other suit is black and worn to death and I sometimes feel like I’m a bodyguard or security in it. This evening I’m on my way to London for a summer wedding, so I ventured out and got the darkest blue I could get — but at least it’s not black. There aren’t as many events to wear a suit to any more, so I wanted something versatile and practical that I could wear again.
Necklace
This gold chain was given to me by an ex. He also gave me the all-seeing eye charm for protection. The other ones I’ve picked up along my journeys. I’m not religious but the iconography is quite cool — a little Virgin Mary and a Christ on the cross. When you think of the iconography and the amazing artists the Catholic Church used — that’s the connection for me. You go to the Sistine Chapel and go, Whoa!
