Joe Bananas

Today I walked past a shop that I have undoubtedly walked past many times.  What made the occasion special this time was that I actually noticed the store, stopped, stood at the window for a moment, pondered whether it was worth entering, and finally convinced myself that I probably just should go in since I was already in front of it.  The store was Joe Bananas, a simple, unpretentious menswear store in the QVB which sells mainly jackets, suits and some fairly loud printed shirts.  The designs themselves weren't anything unexpected of a menswear store - classic, easy to wear styles which most men would have some version of in their wardrobe.  What made a huge difference to these designs were the amazing fabrics used in the designs.  While not all of them were the most amazingly ingenious fabrics I had seen they were all unique, beautiful and unusual.

I chatted with the designer for a few moments about his label and from memory he said that the brand had been running for 25 (or was it 35?) years.  That's a pretty serious deal in the Sydney fashion industry where a brand that makes it past the 5 year mark is doing damn well for itself.  Clearly this label has been doing something right.  Joe Bananas is proof that good, successful, business-minded design needs a point of difference - found in this case through fabrics.