It’s not every label that would take on media showing in the second to last working week of the year, but MisteR hold a special place in many a hardened old fashion editor heart, and show they did, just before Christmas last year.
The Winter 2013 collection is called Dynamic Duo. We like this quote from the Lookbook which sums the mood up nicely: “There is really only one thing necessary in order to be a truly awesome superhero: a killer outfit to add to your style mystique.”
The connection to Batman et al is light, but husband and wife team Ra Thomson and Mickey Lin deliver a well-edited, fantastically accessorised collection and you are happy to play along.
Mickey and Ra met at CPIT as fashion students 12 years ago. Their fledgling label was gravely affected by the Christchurch Earthquakes but nonetheless they became the darlings of New Zealand fashion Week 2011 with their ‘Hansel and Gretel’-themed show, and the following February their champion Colin Mathura-Jeffree took to the iD-Dunedin stage for MisteR in his first runway outing for many years.
The pair are proud that all MisteR garments and accessories are New Zealand made.
Dynamic Duo features a signature grey on grey/grey on black monogram print, available in shirting and suiting for men and women. It’s MisteR tradition to offer sensible, sharply tailored styles in more novel fabrics, as in this collection. There are bright striped knits and a super-pretty cherry shirting to lift sombre base colours. Ra’s favourite piece is a camel/navy fully reversible cotton jacket, and Mickey and I cooed together over the terribly gamine Black Widow Coat.
Known already for their colourful, witty ties, MisteR have taken a leap in a single bound (as they put it) and added sneakers and jewellery to the accessory mix. The sneakers are custom Commando-M's, made in Christchurch as they have always been, in the MisteR monogram print. You may recall Kathryn Wilson did a limited edition polka dot Commando-M late last year as a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House – do you need any more persuasion that the canvas sneaks are cool again?
The jewellery is made for MisteR by Trevor Forrestor, who also made Mickey and Ra’s wedding rings five years ago. At the time he had a shop in Victoria Street but he too lost it in the earthquakes, and now works out of his garage. Forrestor has fashioned tiny scissors, which are available as pendants, brooches, cufflinks and earrings.
Not to be overlooked are hats based on the traditional Cheesecutter, with moulded fronts. They are in colours to match the reversible jacket and in the signature print – now these really do bring a Riddler/John Steed feel to the looks.
We concur: MisteR’s Winter 2013 is dynamic. The collection will be dropping into stores across New Zealand from March onwards.
– Julie Roulston
Images c/- Julie Roulston/Sony NEX