Who would have thought that two chill dudes making Hawaiian shirts would become the buzziest brand at Sydney Fashion Week? Well, if you know Mikey Nolan and Toby Jones, you probably had a hunch. Alums of Ksubi, Nolan and Jones are entrepreneurial as ever, turning Double Rainbouu from a small shirting label into a flagship show of the MBFWA schedule in four years. Their secret sauce is good vibes. Nolan and Jones just have it—taste, affable personalities, and the ability to make a moment that is primed for Instagram yet still intimate IRL. But they also want to make a statement about the world at large.
Their Resort 2020 show took place in Sydney’s Chinese Garden of Friendship, a serene Chinese garden atop a scenic hillside. Jones and Nolan spoke about multiculturalism and inclusivity at the show, as guests wound throughout the garden to peek the latest DR wares. A key print was a pastel utopian garden showing “creatures living in harmony.” Traditional craft techniques like shibori dying and macramé were used on robes and accessories, while other prints drew on the wonders of the natural world, from zebras to rippling waves. Jones and Nolan’s go-to silhouette is big and roomy; these have always been by-the-beach clothes. But slowly, surely, new city-ready pieces are coming into the mix—see a black knit polo button-up and the introduction of chambray. That kind of diversity will open up Double Rainbouu to a whole new world of shoppers.
