JOE FARAGE has a key directive: make his clients look good. Trend always comes second. That is what makes the difference between someone who has great style and someone who is simply “fashionable”.

His latest collection shown during Australian Fashion Week was a dialogue on how the suit, the stalwart of menswear that he has been refining for more than a quarter of a century like an alchemist turning iron into gold, remains tireless in its potential.

The only limitation is the imagination of the wearer.

Styled by Grant Pearce, Farage’s show became an education on contemporary tailoring’s potential, crossing from traditionally corporate-ese to casual and black tie finesse. But tweaked, to ensure the personality of the wearer was always given space. A pinstripe greige suit paired with a collarless shirt, ’round the neck a polkadot turquoise scarf. Shortly after, a similar look came out in tonal grey with a check blazer, shifting the vibe from office to off-duty. A suit, subtly tweaked, broken into sections, endless possibilities. A sartorial Rubik’s Cube.

The thread? Always the client.

“This season we designed the collection with our customer in mind and how they like to individually dress and put their twist on the modern classic,” explained Farage after the show. “The Farage Forward collection showcased the brand in both a ready-to-wear capacity.”

It also leaned into the work that Farage has done with the Australian Defence Force. Bombers, in leather and suede, a field jacket and a pea coat, all reinterpreted for civilians without sacrificing the utilitarian nature of the garment’s DNA.

Evening attire took a brighter turn, as well. A pale mint green double-breasted suit, followed in quick succession by one in topaz, added to the suit’s narrative as a wardrobe for all purposes. In this instance, a smoke-filled room close to midnight.

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