I Can’t Wait to Meet: Godwin Charli
Imagine the perfect fit, immaculately tailored to your measurements, physique, posture and personal style. Imagine a handcrafted, tailor-made suit created by one of Australian’s finest ateliers; Godwin Charli…
28 February 2024 | Words by Hannah Schmidt-Rees
“Godwin Charli’s owner and creator, Godwin Hili has always been intertwined with style, tailoring and emphasis on the perfect fit.”
Imagine clean cotton, breathable linens, luxurious velvet and soft cashmere. Imagine the perfect fit, immaculately tailored to your measurements, physique, posture and personal style. Imagine a handcrafted, tailor-made suit created by one of Australian’s finest ateliers; Godwin Charli.
Godwin Charli’s focus on the ideal fit was born from Hili’s own journey with made-to-measure clothing. His mother was a dressmaker, altering or creating custom clothing to fit Hili’s slim build as a child. As Hili explored his own personal style, his father’s vintage European wardrobe served as inspiration to get his own custom suits made from Melbourne-based ateliers. Throughout Hili’s life, others have always turned to him for his opinions on personal style and mens suiting, planting the seed for Godwin Charli, the idea of providing hand-crafted, made to order and personalised suiting for all.
Inclusivity is becoming an understandably important need for all consumers, and Godwin Charli has been providing inclusivity since its inception in 2007. Providing tailoring for both physical measurements and personal fit preferences, a visit to Godwin Charli is not your average buying experience. Stock sheets of fabrics swatches and a few swings of a measuring tape is not the kind of inclusivity Godwin Charli provides. Each detail is discussed and tailored to you (pun not intentional), and your wants and needs are respected and brought to life through each fabric choice, each style and each stitch.
“There is a massive confidence play here when it comes to suiting and wanting to come and shop with someone like me, because getting that fit just right to fit their body. Zero compromise.” - Godwin Hili
Godwin Charli doesn’t provide suiting pieces in standard sizing or a generic shopping experience. Each suit, regardless of your occasion, gender or age, begins with a fit profile. The usual measurement taking is a given, but Hili and his team of tailors will go above and beyond to ensure each detail is perfect, from the specific fabrication, silhouette, detailing and comfort. Each fabric is milled and woven in Europe, ranging from classic cotton and linen to elegant silk and versatile wool. This is what sets Godwin Charli apart from other suiting brands, the complete passion Hili embodies to ensure longevity and impeccable quality.
Throughout its 16 year lifespan, Godwin Charli has consistently evolved. Its roots are confidently settled in traditional suiting for menswear, 100% wool black tie single-breasted suits, styles that are reliable and renowned. As fashion evolved, as well as the demands for comfort and versatility due to the pandemic, Godwin Charli has followed suit. Traditional silhouettes have progressed to include vintage-inspired double-breasted jackets, as well as unstructured shoulders and relaxed fits. 100% wool sets are now allpurpose fabric blends, combining wool, linen and silk to ensure breathability and adaptable for all weather. Colours are more muted and natural, to be worn from day to night and across all occasions. Details are subtle yet distinctive, cotton pique, three-dimensional linen and seersucker added into the latest collection for both character and added lightness.
“The story doesn’t just start and finish with the customer, it’s also about the cloth itself. The mills I work with are hundreds of years old, and being able to share with the customer the origins of the cloth, that means a lot to them. They’re not just buying something generic, they’re buying something that means something”
Womenswear has also followed the same path, as classic patterns are reinvented with a modern and effortless fit. Limited edition fabrics, such as the multicoloured check using wool, silk, alpaca and mohair, uses the traditional checkered pattern and imbues it with striking colours; pink, blue and orange interwoven with beige and white. Single-breasted, double-breasted, sleek or structured, each piece ensures comfort through the perfectly tailored fit. Within the latest collection, military inspired detailing and waterproof fabrics combine with light watercolour floral prints and traditional capes, a subtle nod to the different purposes of clothing; to empower, to comfort, to present or just to wear.
Godwin Charli has also expanded its range to include golfwear, casual knitwear, technical jackets, sneakers and dress shoes. The combination of high-quality materials, bespoke stitching and tailored fits ensures sustainability and longevity, each piece is built to adapt and built to last.
“Having a model that’s pretty much zero waste. Only making what my clients wants. Ordering what only my client wants and needs. Working with the best mills in the world who have had to adapt themselves to being more sustainable enterprises. So, everyone’s doing their part, and I couldn’t be prouder of that in terms of the human environmental point of view and the impact on future generations.” - Godwin Hili
With Godwin Charli, you’re not just buying a new suit or a new piece of clothing. You’re buying a wardrobe staple, a sustainable and long-lasting garment, a sentimental piece for an important point (or points) for your life where you need to look good and feel confident. 4-5 weeks to wait and a tailor-made suit is ready to meet you.
“At that second fitting, it gives me a kick, knowing that you’ve done good. You’ve brought joy to someone’s life and you know its going to help them be a better professional, be a better partner, meet that special someone. There’s just so many ways that we create excitement and positivity in people’s lives and the way they look.” - Godwin Hili
R.Sport: Style for the Unserious Sportsman
Created for “dabblers” in sports ranging from soccer to trail running, R.Sport is the brainchild of ecommerce and marketing specialist Anthony Puliatti, aged 30…
28 February 2024 | Words by India Curtain
In the expansive world of sportswear brands, there are some designed for performance athletes, and others for those who simply enjoy their morning walk toward an iced latte. And then there’s R.Sport, who have their own space in between.
Created for “dabblers” in sports ranging from soccer to trail running, R.Sport is the brainchild of ecommerce and marketing specialist Anthony Puliatti, aged 30. Now co-led with former AFL player Jasper Pittard, this relatively new kid in the streetwear game is scoring goals (sorry) among recreational and performance athletes alike.
Pittard, 32, who played 158 games for Port Adelaide and North Melbourne, explains: “It's for people who just like to be active and involved in a community as a team. It’s not about being competitive, it's about encouraging exercise and being social.”
The part fashion label, part performance brand, which will showcase in the Block Party Runway x Visit Melbourne at the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, has steadily built a name for itself in the city’s hospitality and music industries, where Puliatti and Pittard have created custom jerseys for community sports teams and groups that love a friendly soccer match in their spare time.
The brand’s almost “anti-athleisure” aesthetic took shape in 2020 with the signature soccer jersey, and has now expanded to running, biking and golf. On the back of two world cups, R.Sport’s guernsey’s have been well received by soccer fans (and festival goers). The pair hope to use the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival runway to reach a wider audience, and establish themselves in both the sporting and fashion industries.
“We’re using it as a bit of a tester for the new products, to see what the reactions like” says Pittard
Despite being the pair’s side-hustle – they each have other full-time jobs; Puliatti as an ecommerce specialist at furniture business Fenton & Fenton, and Pittard co-leads not-for-profit organisation Footy for Climate.
R.Sport is run with the same passion and energy as a full-time endeavour. Puliatti reflects on how their distinct visions pair together. “I have a bit more pared back and classic style, where Jasper’s is almost eccentric and flamboyant,” he says.
R. Sport’s current collection features a range of vibrant pieces, including “tiramisu-coloured” tracksuit pants, mesh caps, signature boxy logo tees, a bright green running shirt and an array of intergalactic, checked or striped soccer jerseys. Puliatti explains that material is an important part of the way they refined each drop.
“The fit and material are influenced by the ‘90s, early 2000s kits that were baggier and a bit breathier, rather than the modern performance kit that’s tight fitting,” he says.
The brand’s other sporting pieces such as golf and track apparel are influenced by the style of Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan in their early careers.
Parts of R. Sport’s aesthetic have evolved from Puliatti’s earlier business, named kvRkr.Sport, which designed hi-vis sportswear for cyclists. Some “experimental” pieces are still made available on their site, helping document the brand’s growth since launching.
Meanwhile, Pittard balances his product design at R.Sport with his own streetwear brand, WOAT, which he set up after the end of his football career in 2020.
The WOAT and R.Sport jersey collaboration
The pair met through the futsal community, where the opportunity arose to collaborate on some merch for Fitzroy bar Poodle, and the R. Sport duo was born (And yes, they still play futsal every Wednesday, donning their own designs, of course).
Ahead of the runway, they’ve teased some tennis inspired garments, track-skirts and an outfit inspired by the classic sports coach on game day. Beyond the show, the 2024 dream is to design team merchandise for local football clubs in the area, as well as expanding into their own space (they’re currently residing in an office above the Collingwood cafe, Into Coffee). Puliatti and Pittard hope to grow their community with the R. Conversations podcast and, of course, they’re always keen to grab new recruits for R.Sport Futsal Club teams.
R. Sport’s pieces are available on their website, unless specified to purchase through a collaborator.
Styles to Look Out for in 2024
What better way to gear up for a big year of show-stopping runways, events, workshops and exhibitions, than with our 2024 fashion predications. They’re bold, fun and all about the ultimate self-expression…
4 January 2024 | Words by PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival
After another big year of show-stopping runways, events, workshops and exhibitions, we are revisiting our 2024 fashion predictions. This year’s street style was bold, fun and all about the ultimate self-expression.
PREDICTION 1: We Mean Business
Suits were seriously in, and not just for work. We saw tailoring taking a step up, reimagined in playful and colourful ways. Think embroidered jackets, tassels on pants and beaded sleeves. Festival goers let their creativity run wild on a classic silhouette we all know and love.
PREDICTION 2: Modern Polo Club
After seeing Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, the British preppy look was on our minds, and who better to make something old new again than Gen Z, who are the next wave of fashion leaders. In 2024, It’s time to dress like a grandpa who played polo or rugby at Oxford and make it high fashion.
PREDICTION 3: Bring Hyper into Femininity
Volume. Big shapes. Bold. This trend is for those who like a feminine style but want the drama! We love how girlcore has taken over and embraced our inner child, but this year, we predicted these pieces took a new form with loud silhouettes, balloon sleeves and even more frills and sequins.
PREDICTION 4: Hello to The Great Outdoors
Who says you can’t wear sportswear all day? We know that outdoor and technical wear has been in for some time, but 2024 saw gorp-core embraced by all. Rock that windbreaker with a mini skirt and heels, or dress from head-to-toe in hiking gear, without the hike involved.
PREDICTION 5: Revival of the Red
'Tis the colour of the season: cherry red. We saw it on bags, lips, belts and dresses. Classic, yet a statement – red is one of those shades you’ll look at in awe every time you reach for it in your wardrobe.
