To Marcs with love

Another day, another Australian Autumn/Winter 2012 campaign reveal. After casting Julia Nobis for two seasons, opposite rising Oz stars Broed Dilleward and Nick Hinman, sportswear chain Marcs upped the ante last summer with five fresh Australian faces. Creative director Rachel Allen has gone for a multi-girl and –boy look yet again for AW12, this time with four models: in her second Marcs season, Chic's upwardly mobile Nicole Pollard, alongside the 2010 winner of the Girlfriend Model Search, Jemma Baines, Belgian Cesar Casier and Brit Sid Ellisdon. Shot by Steven Chee at two Sydney cafes – Mohr Fish in Surry Hills and Coffee Tea & Me in Redfern – the styling and indeed collection proper have a cool Sixties vibe. To be sure, there’s a hint of Burberry here. And while mid market Marcs is by no means selling luxury handbags, the brand's leather goods - which are designed by Brydie O’Neil and start at $79, maxing out at $249 – are not only looking pretty sharp, but, unless frockwriter is imagining things, far more centre stage than ever before. 

Bath party: Marcs' five faces of Spring/Summer 2011/2012

Australian sportswear brand Marcs has been producing some cool advertising campaigns of late. Nabbing new Australian modelling superstar Julia Nobis was a good start of course. Nobis co-starred in the Spring/Summer 2010/2011 and Autumn/Winter 2011 campaigns with Broed Dilleward and Nick Hinman, respectively. Here is a first look at the SS1112 campaign, for which Marcs' creative director Rachel Allen has upped the ante with not two but five rising Australian stars: Chic's Rachel Rutt and Nicole Pollard, Viviens' Rosie Tupper, Priscillas' Andy Smith and EMG Models' Jack Vanderhart (who made his international debut at New York Fashion Week in February, with a Calvin Klein exclusive). Shot by Steven Chee, the campaign also showcases one of Australia's most beautiful sea baths: the heritage-listed Wylies Baths in Sydney's Coogee.

On their Marcs: Julia Nobis and Nick Hinman gear up to do battle on the high street

Are you ready for the battle of the Australian high street? The Portmans Autumn/Winter 2011 campaign starring world number 5 Abbey Lee Kershaw touches down next week. Grazia Australia apparently has first dibs on those shots. Mid market rival Marcs, meanwhile, has enlisted the less established, but equally cool Australian, Julia Nobis, for its second consecutive campaign. Shot by Swiss photographic duo Claudia Knoepfel and Stefan Indlekofer in Surry Hills and Woolloomooloo and styled by Caterina Scardino, the campaign co-stars Priscillas' stablemate Nick Hinman. And we must say, Marcs' military-nosed pea coats and trenches, roomy flannel shorts, leggings and sweet dresses never looked quite so good. Here is a selection of campaign images which are about to drop, in addition to a first look at a behind-the-scenes video taken on the shoot. 

Sophie Lowe, Krew Boylan and co get down to basics for Marcs

Australian sportswear brand Marcs might have cool new Australian model Julia Nobis as its current advertising face, but when the company was looking for talent to embody its new ‘ICONS’ campaign, it opted for non professional models. Not that they’re exactly ordinary mortals (top to bottom): actors Sophie Lowe and Krew Boylan, Dank Street Depot chef Jared Ingersoll, meditation guru Gary Gorrow (brother of Ksubi co-founder George Gorrow), artist Tanya Linney and snowboarder Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin - who became Australia’s first snowboard champion on Tuesday after winning the snowboard cross world championship in La Molina, Spain. Shot by Stephen Ward, the campaign showcases six Marcs classics that have been in the Sydney brand’s repertoire since it was founded in 1979 by the late Mark Keighery: mens’ and womens’ V-neck T-shirts and button-down shirts, a mens’ round-neck T and a womens’ shirtwaister. Oz ski blogger Lorraine Lock had a preview of Pullin yesterday on Snow Blind, but here is a first look at the complete campaign and a video.

Julia Nobis and Broed Dillewaard hit high summer for Marcs

In July, frockwriter unveiled the Spring/Summer 2010/2011 ad campaign for Australian sportswear label Marcs, starring two of the hottest new local modelling stars, Julia Nobis and Broed Dillewaard. Well here is the second instalment of the campaign, for high summer, shot once again by Beau Grealy, in addition to a brand new video. Beyond the Vogue Fashion’s Night Out show on Tuesday night in New York, Nobis has yet to hit the Spring/Summer 2011 runways. But we are sure it won’t be long before she pops up.

First look: Julia Nobis and Broed Dillewaard for Marcs Spring Summer 2010/2011

In 1979, the late Marc Keighery founded Australian sportswear brand and retailer Marcs. Almost exactly two years to the day since Keighery lost his battle with cancer, frockwriter can reveal a new Marcs campaign for SS1011 - one of the best campaigns the brand has produced, if not the best. Shot by New York-based Australian photographer Beau Grealy in and around Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge and the historic Rocks precinct, it stars two of Australia's hottest new modelling stars, Julia Nobis and Broed Dillewaard.

Vale Mark Keighery

vogue.com.au


I was saddened to learn of the death of MARCS founder Mark Keighery, who passed away last night at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital at age 53, following an almost decade-long battle with cancer.

I didn’t know Keighery well, but I had certainly interviewed him on more than one occasion over the years. He seemed like a really nice guy. He was, without doubt, one of the pioneers of the modern Australian sportswear industry.

Keighery launched his company in 1979 at the age of 24, importing international fashion labels.

The stable would eventually embrace blue chip brands such as Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, John Smedley, John Richmond, Dries Van Noten and of course Diesel, which Keighery helped build into a streetwear powerhouse in this market.

But it was Keighery's own label which made the biggest mark on Australian fashion.

It was launched with the simple idea of man’s shirt made from non-traditional men’s shirt materials: women’s dress fabrics. And the idea provided the foundation for a mens and womens sportswear retail business with estimated sales of A$45-57million in 2002, at the time he sold the MARCS component for a reported A$22million in order to concentrate on his health.

The MARCS shingle hangs today over 38 Australian boutiques, a combination of standalones and stores-within-stores within both David Jones and Myer.

He is survived by his wife Lisa and sons Jack and Harry.