The Magic Makers

Giuseppe Santamaria is the founder and creative force behind Men in this Town — the men’s fashion blog turned publishing empire with a print magazine (MITT), a women’s offshoot (Women in this Town), and even a book that looks at the life and styles of men from London to Tokyo to Sydney. “Men in this Town is a result of me wanting to practice photography and have an outlet to publish my photos,” Giuseppe explains. “I’ve always been a fan of street photography and men's fashion so I started a men’s street style blog in 2010, just before street style blogs really peaked.” He picked the right time to launch his blog — the past five years have seen a huge surge in the menswear market, as men young and old around Australia have embraced and explored the world of style.

Mates and creative collaborators Mitch Tomlinson and Mitch Ross are the guys behind Life Without Andy: the Australian lifestyle blog covering photography, music, travel, fashion, sports and events with a fast-growing following. It’s all about appreciating and exploring the fantastic things on offer in the world around you, with Life Without Andy’s journalists, videographers and photographers creating editorial that reminds one of the incredible things to do, see and even purchase in our local community. Most importantly, everything is created with a smile and a look towards storytelling, giving a light-hearted glimpse into the entertaining going-ons in our fair country.

Manuscript is without a doubt Australia’s best independent menswear print publication — one of the only ones, too. Helmed by author Mitchell Oakley Smith and super-stylist Jolyon Mason, it’s a boundary-pushing publication of great style and substance that celebrates and promotes the full spectrum of men’s culture. Readers meet exciting young designers and artists (think Kirin J. Callinan on the cover shot by local photography legend Georges Antoni) with idiosyncratic approaches to style and their art, whilst also meeting menswear legends such as previous cover star Lucas Ossendrijver of Lanvin. Manuscript’s regularly updated website also features menswear and culture news as well as a smattering of fresh editorials for those looking for inspiration. Follow the editors themselves on instagram, too, for insights into the lives and inspirations of these stylish, globetrotting individuals (@jolyonmasonstylist and @mroakleysmith).

Australia’s most trusted source of menswear news and culture, GQ Australia is our local offshoot of the global publishing brand. A portfolio of high quality products and contemporary men’s style, a GQ subscription is an indispensible addition to the modern man’s reading menu. They also host the annual GQ Man of the Year Awards, which in the past has honoured notable men from a wide range of backgrounds, like surfer Mick Fanning, break-through actor Ryan Corr, menswear designer Patrick Johnson, and television presenter Waleed Aly. Perhaps the most coveted award is the International Man of Style award in association with LYNX — last year, the winner was supermodel and men’s fashion champion David Gandy.

Created by forward-looking Sydney-based stylist James Dykes, Virtual Man provides inspiration in the form of cutting-edge menswear editorials from Australia’s best and brightest young photographers and stylists. Established and respected fashion labels such as Prada, Acne Studios and Dior Homme are viewed through the lens of exciting new photographers such as Ben Simpson, Mitchell McLennan and Charles Dennington (all of whom are worth checking out in their own right). It’s a fresh take on contemporary men’s styles that’s fun and experimental yet still highly accessible and diverse, for those men who like to play with what they wear.

With over 125 thousand followers on instagram (@sydneymensstyle), Sydney Men’s Style has fast become one of the premier online destinations for men’s luxury and street style. They cover everything from the best of the international runways to grooming tips, products and ideas, showcased amidst eye-watering menswear editorials. Founded by Hass Murad, Sydney Men’s Style has collaborated in these editorials with established brands like Karl Lagerfeld, Dior, Ralph Lauren, and Zenga. They also offer a careful curation of men’s fashion and accessories for sale in their online store.