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The best-dressed men at VAMFF 2017
"I'm just obsessed with rusty and terracotta colours at the moment."
- Donny Galella Photo: Street Smith -
"These shoes are Cesare Piacotti. I saw them online and fell in love and had to purchase them. Also anything yellow changes my life, that’s why I drive a yellow car."
- Grant Fellowes Photo: Street Smith -
"I like my brown suit and the pockets on the jacket. The pocket design comes from an old Italian suiting style, which is becoming more and more popular."
- Shaun Birley Photo: Street Smith -
"Real men wear pink."
- Nathan O’Neill and Anei Dut. Photo: Street Smith -
"This T-shirt is a vintage Saint Laurent that I've had since I was 13. I didn't realise how awesome it was unit recently when I found it in the back of my cupboard."
- Lucian Clifforth Photo: Street Smith -
"I love my sneakers, because they are pink and you don’t find many pink guys sneakers these days."
- Alain Pottier Photo: Street Smith -
"I love the Valentino clutch, I think more guys should carry bags."
- Nick Taylor Photo: Street Smith -
"It's a collaboration between a street wear designer vlone + off white, vlone is part of the asap mod. It's something limited release."
- Sam Howell Photo: Street Smith -
"I'm wearing my dads old t-shirt that I cut the sleeves off, because of the cut and the story."
- Kingsley McLean Photo: Street Smith -
"This jacket is from a shop that I sent my friends to in Spain and she bought it back as a present."
- Lee Matenga Photo: Street Smith -
"The ribbon is a more relaxed approach to a bow tie or neck tie."
- Grant Fellowes Photo: Street Smith -
"I love my Issey Miyake jacket, it’s a timeless statement and when you lay it on the floor it’s just an oblong piece of fabric, that just transforms when you wear it."
- Shiva Singham Photo: Street Smith -
"I started wearing hats a year and a half ago, it’s now something I identify with my personal style."
- Billy George Photo: Street Smith -
"I got my jacket from Diesel and I also ride a motor bike. The bad boy thing is my style."
- Rohan Maclaren Photo: Street Smith -
"My jacket is Benjamin Barker. I wanted a double breasted jacket in this colour for more of a Mediterranean feel."
-Ben Dusi Photo: Street Smith -
Dalton Graham and Michael Klim. Photo: Street Smith -
"I love the sports luxe feel and the athleisure trend. Perfect for smart casual or semi-formal."
- Colin Gold Photo: Street Smith -
"I wear a cap all the time, I like to mix modern luxury with street."
- Nami Nguyen Photo: Street Smith -
"This Lapel carnation is a little bit fabulous."
- Josh Greene Photo: Street Smith -
"I couldn’t decide whether to get this tee, because everyone on social media has it, but when I saw that it was available online in my size I bought it straight away."
- Vincent Calderon Photo: Street Smith -
“The shirt I got from Bruce, a consignment store on Gertrude St, it’s Carol Chrostian Poell. I like the nature of pre-owned clothing."
- Domenic Coloca Photo: Street Smith -
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A whiff of European grandeur, a manicured garden setting and a plaza that mimicked Florence's best – think Palazzo Pitti – you'd be forgiven for thinking the Royal Exhibition Buildings had been on loan from Italy for a week during VAMFF.
The festival's second year at the precinct proved a winner with an array of VIP bars and curated marquees and lawn areas for optimal peacocking.
Melbourne's fashion festival is now a finely tuned beast that sparked more than 64,000 hashtags in a week. From the 3000 guests who descended on the event for opening night to the menswear runway on Friday, gents were as fixed on looking their best as the ladies.
Scroll through the gallery above to see style snapper Street Smith's take on the men of VAMFF.
Street v suits
The warmer than usual week however saw more summer looks than autumnal layering, but there was plenty to be inspired by from street style chic to suiting.
Europe plays a role in shaping the menswear looks at VAMFF from the athleisure-inspired cropped pants and bomber jackets matched with plain T-shirts for a monochrome diversion, to checkered suits worn with sneakers – both dominated the pavements last week.
This is where high fashion labels conquered – think Kenzo, Gucci, Moschino and Versace to Roger Grinstead's '50s rocker meets '80s power god captured in a double breasted grey blazer and black pants at the Virgin VIP Bar.
Who's who
Colin Gold of style blog The Trendspotter wore Hugo Boss and Calibre on various nights – showing the pros of monotone dressing and adding designer sneakers with a suit.
The festival's CEO Graeme Lewsey launched his own Instagram account just days out of the first runway show. He was seen wearing fitted cropped pants or slim fit suit pants and would alternate between sneakers and loafers matched with a blazer and T-shirts for a day to dusk look.
Flying his own rock'n'roll flag was This Is Malice's Roberto Malizia who showed us his own spin of European street style meets rock video clip glory. He was spotted wearing Maison Margiela and donned Lardini for the GQ Menswear Runway show on Friday night.
Base Colour's Shayn Lyle varied his look from made to measure three-piece suit to an all white Reiss suit at opening night. He captured the best of bomber jackets and chinos at the Lavazza Breakfast - adding his own local twist on a global look.
#Frow politics
Scoring a front row seat is not a given from one year to the next. It's not just about how many followers you have, it's about how you manage your media relationships, who's running your stories and where you sit in the pecking order.
Here's a gentle word of advice to the blogging blokes who did score a seat. Please don't sit with your legs wide open – wide enough to take up two spots and don't lean over your guest to block her view to capture a photo on your phone. And always introduce yourself, because you just never know where your next job might be coming from either.
But the biggest no-no is never sit in a seat that isn't your own – chances are you're being watched by someone across from you and you've been reported.
It's fashion darling: there's a time to show off your hashtags but it's also a time to put your phone down for a moment and live in it.
Scroll through the gallery at the top to see Street Smith's view of the best-dressed men of VAMFF.