Combining pieces of exceptional quality, but letting go of the almost pathological reverence for the product and
focusing on creating an image that is more harmonious, more expressive of my personal quirks, and generally making
bespoke tailoring a little less stuffy has become the goal to bring to the Japanese consumer. I think that Japan has
led the way in promoting the culture around bespoke clothing and a refined and considered wardrobe more than
anywhere else for someone of my era. The select shops I would window gaze at 19 years ago are those that provide the
foundational pieces for a client to learn to express himself in clothing. Be it a perfectly tailored jacket,
handmade shoes or the perfect jeans and leather jacket, the categories are always properly defined and beautifully
represented.
How would you describe the Bryceland's vision?
Applying a very un-Japanese approach to fit, while staying within the framework of providing an exceptional product
that fulfils the needs of a man's wardrobe, is essentially the starting point for Bryceland's. A fat Australian's
interpretation of British, Continental and American clothing, presented with an attempt to match the Japanese
refinement of retail presentation! Menswear, at its essence, should be an exercise in presenting your own voice as
honestly and authentically as you can. To that end, visible branding is something I avoid, as I feel it promotes the
product above the consumer, and the man is always more important than the clothes. The ultimate goal for Bryceland's
is to provide products that help our customers really express themselves as they want to be seen. The garments we
create, sometimes very standard and classic, sometimes idiosyncratic and confronting, all should aid in looking like
they belong to the wearer rather than the wearer being costumed in our brand. The brand and the designer are
ultimately inconsequential, and I hope every garment we create looks noticeably different from one man to the
next.
I think to stipulate hard and fast rules around how things should fit, or how they should look, is a trope that
leads many men to dress in costume rather than honestly representing themselves. The beauty of great dressing is how
we all interpret it differently. It's better that someone disagrees with your choices in fit, colour, fabrication,
but gets a true sense of your character, rather than being a perfect clone of the magazines.
What do you consider when putting a look together?
The first place to start in dressing, I think, is to know your audience and understand what is appropriate for the
occasion. The most beautifully tailored suit loses all context at a bbq on the beach, just as the coolest vintage
band tee may be speaking a little too loud for a formal event. Personally, I still find great joy in stuff. The
beautiful garments I have been afforded over the years still bring me great joy, and I often begin putting something
together based on incorporating one piece that I am excited about at that moment. Be it a hat, a pair of shoes, a
leather jacket or the perfect piece of tweed, I find myself waking up and wanting to wear that piece, and
incorporating it into an outfit both appropriate for the occasion and expressing who I am at that point in time.
It's a challenge I think I often fail at, but never fail to enjoy.
What's next for Bryceland's?
With Japan and Hong Kong, I have two homes that I love, communities of exceptionally refined and well-dressed men
to serve, and some of the best producers of garments to collaborate with. Europe is definitely a place I can see as
the next chapter, but I also feel that to impose ourselves on a market before we are called for would be a mistake.
If the interest is there, and there are men that would benefit from what we do, I'd be thrilled to find myself in
London. Only time will tell.
