Style Profile: Matthew Zorpas
Matthew Zorpas
Sophisticated. Tailored. Experimental.
The first time I met Matthew he was walking across Somerset House during London Fashion Week. He immediately stood out from the crowds. Back then the crazier the outfit the better and Matthew’s style exuded a quiet sort of confidence. We became fast friends, meeting up every time I was in London to snap photos and catch up. It has been at least five years since we last hung out in person but I’ve loved watching his adventures from afar via Instagram. He’s one of the most stylish people I know and I thought he’d be the perfect person to launch this new blog series called Style Profiles.
Matthew and I caught up this week over FaceTime to talk all things quarantine, fashion and life changes…
Describe your style and its evolution.
There has been a certain evolution between who I was ten years ago and who I am today. I think I started my connection with fashion by looking at young designers and modern/futuristic design. Slowly I started familiarizing myself with tailoring due to my professional career as a lecturer. It forced me to develop a new uniform which was a suit. I felt right wearing that. I went very classic for a period of time and very sharp. I was very strict with what I was wearing.
Now I’m in the phase of trying to mix the two eras. There is still a sophistication and attention to detail but there is also some modernization and freshness from young/new designers.
Favorite designers.
Every season it changes. I don’t think there is any brand out there that has not fallen into following certain trends or adapting to the market. I always get my white shirts from Brooke Brothers. Stripey shirts from Eton. American cut double breasted from Ralph Lauren. Tuxedo from Tom Ford. Jeans from Levis. I think there are certain brands and designers that have excelled in a certain product. If you feel comfortable in that white t-shirt make sure that white t-shirt is sustainable, 100% cotton and ethically made. Continue to buy that from the same brand if you trust that brand.
Most prized possession.
If you asked me that 10 years ago it would be a fashion item but from fashion I jumped into the art scene a bit. I have some beautiful paintings I bought from Brazil from Oscar Niemeyer. Now I think after owning an apartment for the first time in my most valued possessions are becoming furniture.
Collaboration you are most proud of.
Being a watch ambassador for Breitling. Two years ago, the first launch project that we did together used aero acrobatics to announce my role. I had the opportunity to fly with a pilot in plane with just two seats. I got to experience the different G’s in a way that is similar to what astronauts experience.
What do you think the secret is to great style?
Experience. Just like any other job you need to familiarize yourself with what’s available and test it. See how you feel and look in different things and check with others. If you wear a certain color and people compliment you more then maybe it’s a good color for you. I think it’s about familiarizing yourself with what’s out there and developing taste slowly.
Three items everyone should have in their wardrobe.
White shirt. Navy double breasted suit. Good pair of English brogues.
Describe your quarantine style.
I try to at least dress up once a day. Whether it’s to go to the supermarket, to meet with my guest speaker for Couch Sessions or just to go out on the roof terrace and have a drink by myself. I do stay in a t-shirt and shorts during the day for a longer period of time than before but I still try to use my wardrobe. It’s like eating for me. It’s one of thing that still feel normal.
Favorite meal to cook at home.
Tuna cake. My mom used to make it and now i’m doing it too. It’s a cold tuna cake with avocado, Philadelphia cheese and biscuits. It’s one of my favorites.
Thing you are most looking forward to when this is all over.
How our time our reflection will become action and if it will become action. A lot of us experience a lot of reflective processes. We all want to change certain things. Become more sustainable. Joing the gym more. Learn how to cook. Whatever that is… can we maintain that afterwards. Can those become learning lessons that we will continue.
Currently watching.
Just finished Unorthodox which was really interesting.
Coffee or tea.
Coffee.
Biggest fashion mistake in your youth.
I would never judge anything as a mistake. I think we all have a lot of embarrassing pictures but for that moment it was something that felt right. We learn and continue and grow.
Fashion is for everyone. What does that mean to you?
Yes, fashion is for everyone. I think we have reached a point where many, if not all of us, have access to the basics and the have the ability to dress up in someway. We have enough to cover the needs of the whole population and we need to reduce consumption. But fashion continues to be for everyone. People need to have the ability to dress up. Even if it’s in a casual way. I think anywhere you are on the planet you can find the basics you need. It’s important to be able to dress up.
All photos via Matthew’s Instagram. Follow him here.
In Between
The place in between
When you're neither here nor quite there.
One part drawn to black and white, another part doused in a rainbow of shades. Forever pulled between monochrome and glitter, the realistic and the fanciful, the here and now versus the what could have been. The existence of being caught between two places.
Currently drawn to images that feel simple but pack an unexpected punch. The ordinary with a touch of sparkle. Simplicity captured in a way that feels dreamlike. When the basic takes on a life larger and more imaginative than its own. That's the space I want to inhabit.
Click the images to visit their source.
LFW Spring 2018
London is nothing if not unpredictable.
It has been a few weeks since the spring 2018 shows ended but I want to take a moment to look back at London. Why London instead of New York, Milan or Paris? It's where I first experienced fashion week. London designers were the first to invite me to their shows. London will always be, for me, the expression of fashion in the way I understand it best. London champions underdogs. I'm grateful for that. It's experimental. It doesn't conform.
utility |yo͞oˈtilədē|: the state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial
Utility isn't something I ever really associated with London Fashion Week. Sure, LFW is of course profitable. Of course, it's beneficial and useful to some degree. But the designs themselves? If I had to pick one word to describe them as a whole? It wouldn't be utility. For me, the trademark of fashion in London has always sort of been it's lack of practicality. It is wild and avänt gärde. Sometimes, it's offensive. It can be difficult to digest. But it pushes the envelop. It inspires. It breathes youth and creativity and beauty into a world that can sometimes feel rigid and dark. And the amazing thing? People in London actually embrace it.
Tina Leung & Susie Lau, both in Molly Goddard - shot by Phil Oh for Vogue.com
This season though, the thing that stood out to me about London Fashion Week (as I watched it from afar) was that it felt decidedly more utilitarian.
Some of my favorite designers were the ones that were really wearable. I've always loved Eudon Choi but this season his collection was one of my favorites. It was packed full of separates perfectly suited for a day at the office or a stroll down the promenade. Whether you're fashion-forward or style-delayed, his collection is understandable - especially when you break apart each look and consider the pieces for what they are alone. Anybody could wear it. You. Me. Your grandma. I literally want to wear everything from the collection. Right. Now. Especially the pink suit (gasp!).
So many designers presented collections that felt useful, essential and easy-to-wear. Does this represent a shift in the industry? It's not minimalist or normcore. It's something else. It's looking at a catwalk and thinking you could actually wear what you see. You could wear it to walk your dog or pick up the groceries. You could wear it to class or to pick up your kids after school. There is beauty and attention-to-detail and a magic sparkle that emanates from the clothes but there is something else. There is a use. And you don't have to squint or work hard to figure out the use. It's glaringly obvious. The clothes are wearable.
To see what other people thought of the collections, I reached out to a few of my favorite people and asked them for their favorite look from London. Their responses reinforced what I had been thinking. London fashion is embracing practicality but there will always be an element of unexpected surprise that leaves you starry eyed and dreaming of another world. So yes, it seems London is embracing utility but there are still wild cards. ✨
Joseph
"I loved this super clean look inspired by girl-scout uniforms, which was given a luxurious twist with Alighieri's giant silver hoops."
J.W.Anderson
"Underwhelming but the devil's in the details, as it usually is with this designer."
Gareth Pugh
"Architectural full tower outfits reminiscent of dark sci-fi. Particularly the opera scene from The 5th Element."
Runway photos from Vogue.com