Joe, nice to meet you! Introduce yourself.

Hi! I’m Joe, I’m 19, I’m studying a bachelor of arts and a diploma of languages at the University of Melbourne. I’m learning Japanese and hoping to get into diplomacy. I’ve lived in Melbourne my whole life, it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. There’s so much art and culture. I love working in the city and I am actually super happy to be working in the Nicholas Building. There are so many beautiful things that happen in our building and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.

What draws you to Japan?

It’s the culture more than anything else. I’ve done a few exchanges in Japan and what I love is the culture of mutual respect. They put society as a collective first above their individual needs. It’s a very respectful and considerate place and they have such great fashion! Last year when I was there we did so much thrifting, we went to so many different vintage shops. I bought some crazy jewellery when I was there. There were so many opportunities to buy the coolest clothes.

What draws you to the vintage fashion world?

I think with the rise of mass produced fashion, I think it’s so important to look for things that are higher quality and have longevity. I really love the sustainable aspect of vintage fashion. A large portion of my wardrobe is actually from RetroStar. I love ironic T-shirts and branded T-shirts. One of my favourites is actually from here, it’s like 90s anti-drug slogan shirt.

What is your relationship to fashion and clothes?

My grandma owned a clothing brand back in England, so my Dad grew up surrounded by fashion. When I was a kid, he used to just have crazy clothes. It worked out because we’re both tall, so I inherited a lot of cool stuff from him. Seeing my Dad in his cool outfits and seeing him as the best dressed person in every room has definitely inspired me to be like that. Everything he wears fits him well and he looks put together. He spends a lot of time thinking about what he wants to buy. He has 16+ pairs of Doc Martens now. I wish we had the same shoe size.

Would you describe your style in a similar vein as your dad’s?

No, I’d say I’m quite basic to be honest. I don’t want to say 1990’s or Y2K exclusively. I tend to buy the things that I like the look of. I’m not necessarily focused on trends or anything, just clothes I want to wear. Realistically my style would fall in to Y2K, but I’m influenced by comfort and I’m a big believer in putting your money towards things you just feel spiritually connected to. I’ll just try something on, and then I know it’s destined to be on my body. That’s how I shop.

What is your go-to wardrobe staple?

A jacket of any description, but I’d say really nice, leather jacket. I think it can look both classy and grungy. I have a Vintage 1980s lee denim jacket, which I wear all the time.

What are you listening to at the moment? What music do you love to hear in store?

I listen to a lot of hip-hop and rap,. Very 90s 2000s type of stuff. Lots of house and electronic. One of my favourite artists is Moodyman. I love Marvin Gaye, D’angelo, Lauryn Hill, Sade, Pharell Williams. I’m very much the type of person to have my headphones in when I’m not talking to someone.