Sarah Starkey
Sarah Starkey is one of Australia’s most exciting young stylists. Having assisted at Wallpaper magazine in London before striking out on her own, she’s lent her considered styling to magazines such as Museum, Russh, Manuscript, Hunger and Oyster, and recently signed to leading Australian agency Company1. Her menswear styling is highly directional — she definitely knows what she likes. “I like the use of different textured fabrics, embellishments, and colour, layered to create a strong silhouette,” she explains. “Menswear is often about classicism, but I do think there’s a tendency to play it too safe, especially in Australia. I like brands that know how to walk that line, where they’re offering practical, classically good-looking garments with a playful approach to the details.” She cites local underwear label GUY Lab — which offers classic men’s underwear styles in beautiful organic cotton, with playful options on the waistband logo like “Nice Guy” and “Cute Guy” — as an example. “I also think Australian label Commas is great — they’re primarily a high-end swimwear label although they also do tailored shirts, trousers and jackets in fabrics sourced from the best European mills. It’s really interesting to see how these niche Australian labels walk that line between practicality and broad appeal given the small market here and finding ways to offer something interesting.”