Having started out in the retail world, Nathan Smith knows exactly what he wants to see hanging in a boutique. His store Cumquat boasted fashion forward brands and an enviable reputation, but Smith still wasn’t satisfied and eventually opted to launch his own line.

“I was inspired to do my own brand because all my favortie tees were expensive and are so hard to buy in Australia. Not to mention the fact that I kept losing them. So I decided to make them for myself and friends,” Smith explains of starting his eponymous label.

Now, with the media wanting a piece of his action—he’s popped up in everything from Vogue to Grazia—Nathan Smith has become a label in its own right. The autumn/winter ’09 collection is a mix of luxury knits, heavy cottons and cotemporary tailoring, including loose crotch pants, long grandpa cardigans and high neck knits with ribbon details. Meanwhile, his signature grey marle pieces are becoming the must-have throwovers for everyone from new mums to jet-setting models.

Smith uses a color palette of white and black, but contrasts the bases with earthy and berry shades such as cocoa and Bordeaux. These flattering designs can easily transition into any wardrobe and help to reinvent whatever is already in there.

For more information, see www.thisisnathansmith.com.

—Retna Wooller