We Are Handsome: The Romantic

Date
27 January 2012

Sure, a new swimwear collection does feel like an odd thing to cover as we chain ourselves into our heavyweight waterproofs and step out into London’s weather-beaten January, but what better remedy for the blues than looking at sun-kissed pictures of beautiful people? We Are Handsome are Australia’s answer to sunshine on tap – a small company with an independent, ethical backbone, twinned with a desire to make seriously beautiful items of clothing. We caught up with founder Jeremy Somers in the wake of the launch of their latest collection, The Romantic.

Hey Jeremy, you’ve just released your fifth We Are Handsome collection, The Romantic can you tell us a little bit about it please?

For our fifth collection we aimed to design something new, something which was timeless. All fashion, in essence, is about romance, and everyone – no matter who you are –has been in love with a piece of clothing at one point or another, and everyone has been in love with an image, an idea, a story. We have aimed to bring these feelings, ideas and emotions to life, into something tangible through the collection.

Why did you choose to shoot in Miami with She is Frank?

She is Frank has been a friend of ours ever since she shot our first Handsome Project in 2010 and has a style all to herself. The shoot coincided with our USA tour last year and Miami seemed like the perfect location to shoot a collection based on love. People from Miami LOVE the beach, LOVE the nightlife, LOVE the weather, the city, the people. And so did we.

Why did you start We Are Handsome?

We started out as a tiny little creative project, we never intended to sell anything. We made five swimsuits and carried them around in a supermarket shopping bag. We had a simple little idea and decided to MAKE something. Creating and making are what we live for – we’re always experimenting and making new things – so many which the public never see, but it’s what gives us that fulfillment, and keeps our imaginations flowing.

The press coverage has been fantastic for the previous collections – when you started did you ever envisage a celebrity like Tyra Banks would be wearing your pieces on a magazine cover?

Not in a million years! When we started, each little magazine/blog article/picture was a real surprise. We always have this sense of ‘wow, people love what we do enough to take time out of their day and write about it.’ Honestly when we started, the project was so small and insignificant, we never even dreamed it would be where it is today.

The idea of swimsuits at the moment in London would make everyone shiver! We’re in a seriously dreary part of the year at the moment, in my head the sun constantly shines at We Are Handsome. Is that the case?

That’s 1000 per cent correct. For us, it’s always summer. Just like young boarders and skiers chase the snow around the world, we chase the beach, the warmth, the sunsets. For us, it truly is summer every day of the year, and for those who have to suffer though the harsh reality of winter, we hope, through our collections, imagery, blog and ethos that we can bring a little warmth into their lives.

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About the Author

Alex Bec

Alex joined as director in 2008 and oversees the commercial side of The HudsonBec Group which includes It's Nice That, Anyways, Lecture in Progress and If You Could Jobs. Contact him to discuss working with us on sponsored content, commercial partnerships, media partnerships and commissioning work.

alex@thehudsonbecgroup.com

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