Lachlan Stonehouse
What is
“I like your style”?
In this series we ask fashion lovers to share some of their favourite outfits and talk us through what inspires and influences the way they dress and shop.
Each person featured then nominates someone they are inspired by and they then become the next featured in the series - creating a chain of style admiration across the globe.
Lachlan Stonehouse was nominated by Jessica Peacock
Who is Lachie?
Hello..... I’m Lachie - from a small coastal town, named St Helens in TASMANIA. I have resided in Melbourne for a couple of years now, to further my artistic studies.
In my spare time I love to watch films, specifically historical dramas & french new wave. You can find me curled up with a book or saving images to my Pinterest.... my all time favourite season is summer as it includes many swims and bushwalks.
Follow Lachie at @lachie_william__
Your favourite NZ/Australian designer? and why
Kloke, is one Australian label I tend to gravitate towards, most wintery seasons. The designers Amy and Adam Coombes produce some beautiful women’s wool coats and trenches. Along with that, their pants and jeans are all so well-structured and ever so timeless. Secondly, Kowtow a New Zealand designer is another favourite of mine, their stage pants are a dependable staple. The entirety of my wardrobe consists of bits and pieces from a multitude of places. More than half I’m sure would be striped shirts though, Baserange a French/Danish designer, puts together numerous striped iterations of the Ole Shirt, which are executed in such a classic shape. Toteme’s lago style shirts are another beloved piece, in particular the orange and cream stripe. The Swedish designer crafts a certain clean design, eventuating into what could be seen as the epitome of timelessness. One stockist for emerging brands I couldn’t leave out, would be 100% silk shop, a Toronto based store, that have a distinctive vision for the handmade, and celebrating artisans from around the globe. Visually their store is a joyful celebration of textiles, and how this generates into thoughtfully produced garments.
Best Vintage Store in Melbourne?
In Melbourne, I haven’t yet stumbled across any vintage stores that I can claim as the ‘best’ as of yet. I occasionally acquire quite a few items of clothing from Etsy. I have picked up some special pieces from different sellers on there, as each garment tends to have a lot of character, and a specific history to them. These are a few of favourite sellers currently within Etsy: persephonevintage, OldBlessing,TheVault1969 And FlyingAppleVintage. It is a terrific reference point, and a playground for researching, and creating a visual moodboard. What I find most fascinating is that Etsy, as a whole covers, various decades, spanning from the 20s to the 90’s. The one second-hand boutique I visit occasionally is dot COMME, located in Curtin House, Melbourne, I have a special Comme, buttery yellow button up which is imprinted with coffee mug, ring stains on it, my other most treasured item from there is a pair of black wool trousers.
Who most influences
and inspires your style?
My most influential, prominent reference point for how I dress, derives from the films directed by Eric Rohmer, I tend to deconstruct and unpack those stylistically, therefore using it as recipe for my outward appearance. There is a certain effortless sophisticated nature established throughout his films that I am encapsulated by, all are so elegantly timeless. The Piano Teacher and Full Moon In Paris, are two of my best loved films, and have such an exceptionally refined wardrobe, Isabella Huppert has always dressed so gracefully though, so no surprise there.
From my short time whilst living in Melbourne, and through Instagram too, I have stumbled upon and met some beautiful creative, people who I admire the style of, quite a lot. In particular Linda Nguyen, Jessie Webb and Jess Peacock all spark some sort of motivation, and love for particular garments and a specific way of dressing
I think for my own wardrobe, I am particularly drawn to a certain universe, surrounding myself with things, which span across a lot of decades. If I am being honest, my hobby, has become to research and collect, that is where my appreciation to make comes from as well, for my own art practice, I love to hoard photos, film screenshots, snippets from books and
trinkets, and treat my wardrobe in a similar way. My current spring influence would be Diane Keaton in Annie hall meets the cast from La Chinoise. When viewing films by myself, I tend to dissect it, and appropriate or carry through the notion of how each character dresses within it. I look for natural, quality timeless garments, I like to keep my vision coherent, but this can sometimes change from bright to dark colours but overall is quite consistent I feel.
How do you think the Australian landscape, surroundings and culture feeds into your own aesthetic? if at all? and if you don't feel it does, then what does?
My response above which I previously answered ties into this question briefly, but my overall surroundings from my family home in Tasmania has somewhat impacted what I look for and tend to admire. Natural beauty and nature are the two significant things that stand out for me, with what I am observing on a regular basis, which translates into my own dressing, along with the other reference points I mentioned earlier, from films and books. I favour a few Instagram accounts, that act as an archive of a bygone era, filled with advertisements, runway shows ect. The two in particular that I refer back to are: Simiplictycity and Giulianaro (Research of Attitudes)
Do you feel Covid/lockdown has affected the way you dress? If so how...if not, why not?
The venture to return home, from Melbourne, has most certainly impacted what I wear. Whilst studying from home, there is no need to dress to formally, only when on zoom, or having classes online. I treat those days in a similar way to if I were out and about, running errands or going to class.
I also believe this time at home, has allowed me to re-evaluate, what I really appreciate within clothing, and has allowed me to hone in on my own personal vison, and keep a consistency within that. I think what I make, feeds into my dressing, my art research… they cross over which I quite enjoy, borrowing from both constantly. For example, Jenny Watson’s paintings or Liz Magor’s, sculptural works, beautiful tonalities in both and have a great sensibility and understanding for colour.
Personal style can be about how we want to present ourselves visually to the world - how do you intend for your clothes to present you?
I believe my appreciation for certain garments, items and collecting bits and bobs, forms my love for clothing and dressing, it is my own certain universe that I like to create. I hope that some people will find the same amount of joy that I have, I’d like to pass on my appreciation and love for it, and hope people can admire that aspect. I think, simple, natural, neat, and timeless sums it up.
Your most embarrassing fashion moment to date:
I’ve made some regretful clothing decisions, but I am now slowly developing my own personal style, and tone within what I wear. I think it’s also important to not dismiss, that every individual goes through stages in their lives, we are enjoying and appreciating a whole range of things, so our love for certain possessions fluctuates I feel. It’s like this quote I once read from Seven Days in The Art World, about a pair of jeans, and how our wardrobe is like curating and collecting art, we go through different times in our lives, and revisit, them, but if we haven’t worn them for a few years, it’s time to move on. It’s important to embrace, that we are slowly evolving, another important factor is to not to be wasteful, and become resourceful. I try my best to support, smaller independent stores, that are well crafted- and well made.
Your most iconic fashion moment to date:
My ultimate happiness begins with wearing a coat or some sort of trench, and pairing that with a nice shiny black shoe. I have a strong liking towards the Loafer Post Sole Studio just released, which I think would look effortlessly magical with any wide leg, kind of cropped pant. I enjoy mixing bright colours, stipes or gingham together, with a majority of paired down hues, and tones. I do have a few treasured outfits, thinking back, my most favoured, consists of a JW Anderson gingham shirt, Tabi Suicoke sandals, orange socks, my Kloke khaki trench, a red knit tied over, and a pair of Kloke Elevation jeans.
For the more bracing weather, I tend to favour my Baserange chunky knits, sharing a similar passion for these, as does Jessie Webb from @lowproductivity. She is a favourite of mine, and I often admire, the beautiful combinations she creates. We are now matching with a few items, most recently a little silk bag, with brown and white gingham, from a beautiful store called Coming of Age. Sunnei also does some really interesting stripe shirts, that are quite classic, with a modern twist, I purchased one heavily discounted on LA Garconne awhile back, it has vertical stripes on one side and diagonal on the other… one of my favourites! I think all of my pieces are important for a different day or time of the year, and I genuinely relish them all.
The best runway show that happened during your lifetime
Currently, I admire what Lemaire are doing and The Row, by the Olsen twins, they have some really, well made beautiful pieces from what I’ve seen online. Margaret Howell slots into this category as well of timeless, classic dressing. When I was a little bit younger, I would often peruse, and examine Kinfolk Magazine, therefore, creating a yearning for contemporary, simple designs like that, I must say I don’t have too much fashion knowledge, as I don’t watch many fashion shows, hardly ever, as I’m more interested in things that are less current.
I have a strong affection for HELMSTEDT, a Copenhagen Designer, which has quite a playful, whimsical element to it, I think sometimes fashion and clothing can be to serious or slightly intimidating. My preferred show of theirs is the SS20 show, lots of bonnets, headscarves and gingham. I’m often attracted to things that are slightly kooky as well, or that have an Alice in Wonderland, fairy tale element. The Brand HAIKW from Norway is another special runway, their 2019 Spring collection executes, luxurious felted wool and gingham so well. The designers are heavily involved in working with various artists, which I appreciate a lot. Both HELMSTEDT and HAIKW, offer a peek into how these creators/ designers view the world, in this context, a wonderous place, full of childish play, or even revisiting their own forgotten, unique memories.
Runways Listed below: https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/oslo fashion-week-spring-2019-haikw-gallery
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/copenhagen-fall-2020/helmstedt
Images — Shannon Rush
