The Australian lifestyle has always been a source of intrigue for non-Australian people. Granted, the world’s understanding of our day-to-day is a little idealised; most of us aren’t riding kangaroos to school, or being raised from bed and pulled in the direction of the ocean by the beseeching tug of a sea breeze.

But some of us are. Not riding kangaroos, obviously, but living the Australian seaside dream precisely as it's portrayed to the world – sunrise swims, sunset surfs, summer 12 months of the year etc. etc. Richard Jarman is one of these people. And Commas, the menswear brand he’s built, is proof that when it comes from a place of authenticity, the great Australian allure is hard to resist and very, very easy to wear.

“We’ll post videos at the beach at 5:30 in the morning, and our international buyers will message us saying, ‘do you even work?!’ laughs Jarman. “We’re like, ‘this is before work, this is before you even wake up.”

The designer and his wife Emma swim every morning and, rather enviably, they both emanate with the kind of glow only saltwater and sun can achieve. “It definitely helps with the authenticity,” says Jarman, referring to the laid-back lifestyle Commas portrays. “People know that we’re out there swimming in the shorts every day. It would be much different if we were doing this from, say, the UK.”

For a brand that’s sold by two of the world’s biggest luxury e-tailers – MATCHESFASHION.COM and more recently, MyTheresa – Commas’ has retained a quieter presence in its own backyard.

Jarman says that taking the brand international first was a conscious decision “in order to be understood” – the only Australian brand to be selected for the recent launch of MyTheresa’s menswear site, and only one of five brands to sit in the site’s ‘emerging’ edit (alongside Wales Bonner and Bode, arguably two of the world’s most coveted brands right now) – you could argue Jarman’s approach is paying off.

And while resonating globally is still important to Jarman, he’s itching to make the brand more available here. “We get emails from people all the time being like, ‘where can I go to try this on?’ and unfortunately now, there’s nowhere local we can point them,” says the designer. 

At least not yet. Two things happened to Commas recently that could give the small Sydney-born brand the resources and exposure it needs. In January, Commas was announced a finalist in the National Designer Award, a competition for emerging fashion brands that’s run by the Virgin Australian Melbourne Fashion Festival. The award is worth $120,000.

Then, in late February, Commas was also named one of three finalists in the Westpac Private Bank Emerging Fashion Designer Award, which is presented in partnership with the Australian Fashion Council. The award is judged by a panel of industry luminaries, the prize – which includes invaluable things for young brands, like business advisory and financial planning services – is also valued at over $120, 000.    

As part of the selection process, Jarman submitted looks from Commas’ forthcoming Autumn/Winter 2020 collection, which includes a shorter swim brief (“for guys who don’t want to wear speedos but still want an upper thigh tan”) and the brand’s signature silk shirts, which are decorated with hand-painted prints.

To slip into one of these shirts is to be transported to a holiday state-of-mind – hence the name Commas, which represents the act of “taking pause,” Jarman explains.

His most recent Spring/Summer collection, which you can see pictured here, was also taken into consideration. The collection is loosely inspired by Anthony Minghella’s iconic 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley and its sublime precursor, René Clément’s 1960 classic Plein Soleil, and presents just as exotic as the wardrobes from both films, albeit a little more modern. No wonder the judges couldn’t resist.

“For us, we’re an Australian label – even though our fabrics are sourced in Europe, everything we design and make happens here, so we’re so grateful to have this opportunity to connect more with Australians, to be able to offer those people who email us something.”

Whether or not Commas wins either prize, some exciting collaborations and an Autumn/Winter 2020 collection that’s strikingly elevated mean the brand’s presence is set to blossom here regardless.

In the meantime, Jarman will be busy thinking of new ways to portray his beachside lifestyle to the world – he’s forever in search of that one garment that communicates our effortless effortlessly.  

“There’s a group of women who swim every morning down at Cronulla, and one of them has this old-school hooded surf towel that she pulls on when she gets out of the water, and everyone is always so jealous of her. I was like, ‘how do we make the luxe resort version of that?’” laughs Jarman.

We’ll find out when his next collection is unveiled.  

All images via Commas. The brand's SS20 campaign was photographed by rising Australian photographer James Tolich & styled by renowned menswear stylist James Valeri in the clifftop town of Ravello on Italy's Amalfi Coast.