Genderless Melbourne label Reigner is creating suits with a focus on custom detailing
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NADEEMY BETROS
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“We want people to feel comfortable, outside their own comfort zone.”
When Melbourne designer James Noble was planning a wedding with his now-wife, jeweller Millie Savage, the suit was an important factor. “The suits started when I got married and thought, ‘There’s no way I’m wearing some boring old suit. I want a Nudie Cohn-style suit and I’m gonna make it myself‘,“ he explains. This was a pivotal moment for his clothing label, Reigner – when the brand started making its signature crystal-encrusted, embroidery-laden suits.
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Working between Melbourne and Bali, James creates genderless, made-to-order suits. He draws inspiration from everywhere – native Australian birds, Vegas casinos, the California desert and Frida Kahlo. And outside of suiting, Reigner produces simple, high-quality staples like tailored pants, cotton tees, denim shorts and soft jumpers. Below, James tells the story of the label so far.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
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My name’s James, I run Reigner Clothing. I started thinking of making my own clothes whilst working for Levi’s in my twenties. I was a bit lost and miserable in the advertising world, so took a two-year holiday driving a Chevrolet Astro from Portland, USA to El Salvadore. Whilst driving through an electrical storm in the south of California, our beautiful beast of a van took herself a name and that was the day Reigner was born.
Later on that trip, I met my now-wife and Melbourne jeweller Millie Savage, who gave me the option of Bali or nothing. I was working on a Spanish tomato farm in central California at the time and decided to take my savings to be with Mill and learn how to make clothes in Bali. I sat with lots of old Balinese ladies learning how to pattern-make, driving my scooter to fabric stores learning… everything I could.
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I first started making oil-skin trench coats. I teamed up with a local bee farmer and used his excess beeswax to melt down with other properties to make a waterproof oil solution, which I painted on the coats and left to dry stiff in the sun. Real backyard set-up. The suits started when I got married and thought, ‘There’s no way I’m wearing some boring old suit. I want a Nudie Cohn-style suit and I’m gonna make it myself’.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
I guess it started when I went full-time, which was two and a half years ago. The first bit was research and development, and [that] led me into the suit game. I’m not trained in fashion or textiles so I just put myself out there, made lots of mistakes, asked heaps of questions, spent lots of money and just focused on getting better each day.
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My process starts with storytelling. Maybe it’s my production background, but I create stories in my head or photoshoots and design for those scenarios. I get inspired by little things in my day that make my outfits. I also use Pinterest lots to moodboard and collage. It’s great that I get to work with different people who have different ideas, it’s my job as an art director and designer to work with those ideas and spit something out that I see through my eyes.
The challenges are never-ending. I’m really hard on myself to be the best I can be… ensuring that I do things better than I did yesterday. Working in the wedding industry is pretty damn stressful, a lot goes into making my suits so utilising time is everything. Time is a challenge, I can’t waste a second of it. The main thing is to be ridiculously organised, everything has to be booked in with a time and strict schedule. I’m still working on it!
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Stress is the other one. Nothing wrong with a bit of fire up my ass to get things moving, but when things get pretty hot, it’s really important that I keep things cool, ensure my team’s happy and my customers are stoked. Customer experience is really important to me and I’m putting everything into ensuring that making a suit with us is a wonderful experience. Still working on it!
How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
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It’s usually “I make shiny stuff”, but for the sake of the question – Reigner was created to uniform the hedonists. To create gender-neutral outfits for the pursuit of pleasure. Reigner is a stepping stone for people to experience something in the deeper end of their ocean. We want people to feel comfortable, outside their own comfort zone.
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
I’m super hard on myself, so the feeling of pride can be a little bit of a stranger… but I was super proud seeing my mate Brad get married in a suit I made from vintage bridal fabric. I cut it to a really nice, relaxed pattern and then hand-sewed the eye-blasting Swarovski crystals on it.
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He looked a million bucks. In that moment, I wished I made him a 20-metre veil – which I then did for the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival. I was pretty stoked watching all my looks walk the runway, made me feel like my brand was stepping to the next level. I don’t see or want to see Reigner as a costume label, it’s a fashion label. I guess the festival shone a light on that.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
I guess it’s taken me a long time to find my identity. For my mates’ brands/businesses, I’m really good at branding/identity and helping them with art direction… but then when it comes to your own, it’s so personal… I guess you don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself to know who you are and what your signature thing is.
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Not everything happens overnight, in this business (well for me) it’s very [much about] learning by doing. I didn’t go to fashion school, so I taught myself everything as I went along, made heaps of mistakes… grew and developed as a person. Long story short – be patient, stick to your guns and you gotta risk it to get the biscuit.
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian fashion right now?
The fashion students. If you want to see true conceptual art through fashion, go to the student shows. I saw the student show at MFF and it was super inspiring and a reminder that we all need to express ourselves to the fullest… these kids are what fashion needs.
What about the Australian fashion industry needs to change?
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I guess all fashion needs to change to be more sustainable. All fashion is bad, none of it does any good for the world. It’s our job to keep our production numbers down, use deadstock and recycled materials and not bullshit our consumers. As for the Australian fashion industry, I think we need to take more design risks, stop looking at trends and let the world know what we’re capable of.
Dream Australian collaborators?
I guess I dream of making suits for The Bad Seeds. As soon as Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are in Reigner suits I’ll hang up the boots. But I see myself collaborating with musicians, dancers and restaurants or farms. I really want to put events on with other creatives and celebrate all of our work.
Go-to dinner party playlist?
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I’m really loving the Melbourne band Ekek. Also listening to this great compilation called Burning It Up: Australian Reggae (1979 to 1986). Also gotta shout out to No Zu and Cong.
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
I spend too much money making my own clothes to wear anything else. I wear a lot of my wife’s incredible brand Millie Savage – she’s me Julie and makes bloody good jewelled items. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing without Millie, so big love to her.
If I had the extra cash though, it would be Song for the Mute – I think they are the best Australian fashion label for sure. Also my boy Ajay from Moss Tunstall – he’s doing some incredible experimental things, love what he and the brand are about.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
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Jump on my website. You can either buy something straight from the website or book a session to build your own custom Reigner.
Anything else to add?
From the wise words of my wife, “You gotta risk it to get the biscuit”. if you’re miserable at your job, quit and start your own thing, it will pay off in the end.
For more Reigner, head here.
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