Don't assume the men's clothes on the Fashfest runway are all about cropped pants, exposed ankles and avant garde fabrics.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This year high-end luxury and made-to-measure tailoring duo Braddon Tailors will be making their debut.
So if you prefer your suits hand-drawn, hand-fitted and hand stitched on Savile Row, using woollen material created off a 180-year-old restored British loom, then you better book a seat.
In 2009, Pip Morgan began catering to Canberra's high-end suit market.
The 32-year-old, who has a day job in the federal public service, provided made-to-measure suits to a small number of clients seeking a perfect fit and top-of-the-line fabric.
Mr Morgan does the initial consultation and fitting from a small studio in Civic. Customers can choose from fabric milled internationally, including from Dormeuil, Ariston of Napoli, Loro Piana, and The London Cloth Company, which uses the historic loom.
Suit measurements are sent to China, where, for about $900 you can get a hand-fitted but machine-stitched suit based on three fittings over about six weeks.
Or, if you want a truly bespoke suit - where every stitch is completed by hand and the most sophisticated bit of machinery used in the process is a pair of scissors - then Mr Morgan works with a team of top tailors in London's West End.
The bespoke creations are sent between Canberra and London up to four times for further fittings and adjustments, the entire process taking up to six months and costing between several thousand to more than $10,000.
Mr Morgan said Canberra businessmen with a discerning eye were willing to pay this much for a suit, as were a fairly steady stream of men wanting to invest in a custom-made wedding suit.
Coming from Orange, with a family background in haberdashery and men's tailoring, Mr Morgan said he had always been a little obsessive about suits fitting perfectly, and word-of-mouth ensured his client base continued to grow.
He was joined last year by Canberra Institute of Technology Clothing Manufacturing student Tarun Charker and the Braddon Tailors label was born.
Mr Charker has brought an edgier approach to the suit and other garments the duo design and they have filled more than 400 orders since opening.
Mr Charker's arrival has ensured the company can appeal to a younger age bracket and he will be concentrating on the Fashfest line of outfits, including one for women, incorporating a more industrial feel. Tradition and luxury will also be represented.
''For me it is about keeping the classic silhouette but changing and refining the little details to make a classic suit unique,'' Mr Charker said.
Braddon Tailors was a local company with a global focus, Mr Morgan said. While the company had the capacity to work directly with international mills to create its own fabrics, in its own patterns and weaves, it also employed Canberra tailors to help refine the garments, and was looking to expand.
Braddon Tailors will enter Fashfest 2014 as the first, and only, luxury house. This collection will show off the company's innovative styling, colour matching and range of modern garments for the luxury menswear market. And not a cropped pant will be seen.
Fashfest will also provide a debut for Canberra labels All Eyes on Us, Audrey Blue, BM Designs, Character, The Darling Sisters, G. Ginchy, Hijab House, Hanny D Creations, Reneira, Recollection, Tuffys and Tuffets and Zilpah Tart
Fashfest runs over four nights from April 30. Tickets can be purchased at www.fashfest.com.au