I’ve always had the ambition to shoot a fashion campaign. Not to launch a label, not to “start a brand” like every second person on Instagram, but because it’s something I’ve always wanted to try my hand at. Clothes for me aren’t about building a business — they’re about storytelling, expression, and creating imagery that feels alive.
This isn’t a launch or a drop. It’s a personal endeavour, a chance to bring together everything I’ve been building through Merak and put it into a different medium. The same way I’ve captured food, family, and culture, I want to see how those threads translate when woven into fashion.
What excites me is the campaign itself — the visuals, the process, the energy on shoot day. To me, it’s about creating a body of work that reflects sincerity and style without needing to justify itself with sales or hype. Just something I can look at and say, “yeah, I did that.”
Merak has always been about sincerity and culture, and this campaign is just another extension of that. A personal project. An experiment. A new chapter in what’s possible.
Below are some images I created to be printed on some garments I’ve sourced.
These logos are more than designs — they’re rooted in something deeply personal. When I was sick with cancer, I remember an older woman, close to the end of her own life, telling me that I would be fine and that I was surrounded by angels. Those words stayed with me.
The quote you see comes from Queen Esther in the Book of Esther (4:16). She spoke these words knowing she risked death by approaching the king, choosing courage and conviction over silence. To me, it’s a reminder to act with purpose, to step forward even when the outcome is uncertain. Take every chance you get.
What are we, without dreams and ideas?
I found myself in West Footscray this week, following a lead from the owner of Uncle Charlie’s vintage store. He told me about a company called High Tee, and I went down to see what they could do. They’re helping me line up some samples, and I’ve been sourcing a few hoodies and tees to get printed. This isn’t about launching a fashion brand or trying to push product — it’s about something I’ve always wanted to do: shoot a campaign.
The clothes themselves are just the canvas. What matters to me is the picture, the story, the energy that runs through the images. I’ve always been inspired by the way campaigns flow — how a single frame can carry more than just fabric. For me, it’s about atmosphere, narrative, and honesty.
I keep coming back to the mood of the 90s. The way brands carried themselves then had a certain rawness and confidence. I think about Yzy/Gap and their stripped-back, oversized silhouettes — not because I want to copy them, but because of how their visuals feel. They’re bold, cinematic, unapologetic. That’s the kind of language I want the camera to speak.
Film has always been at the centre of my inspiration. Michael Mann’s nights in Los Angeles, his characters lit by neon and shadow. The rhythm of gangster pictures that feel both gritty and elegant. The stillness and humanity of poetic dramas like Good Will Hunting. These worlds stay in my head not just as films, but as emotional reference points. I want that same sense of drama and intimacy to flow through my campaign.
This project is a personal endeavour. I’m not here to compete with the noise of every “new label” clogging Instagram. I’m not here to play the hype game. I’m here because I want to try my hand at it — to take what I’ve been building with Merak and channel it into a different form. To see if I can make images that capture sincerity, culture, and character in the same way I’ve tried to with food and storytelling.
What comes out of this will be a reflection of where I’m at now — testing, experimenting, building. A campaign not bound by commerce, but by curiosity.