RMIT fashion students woo style icon Nick Wooster

Known for his sharply tailored blazers, handlebar moustache and arm sleeve tattoos, Mr Wooster teamed up with Australian Wool Innovation to host a special once off workshop for RMIT's fashion and textiles students.

He said the students showed “a real depth of creativity and forward thinking” during the session, in which he discussed the value of merino wool, the importance of innovative Australian fashion design and what he looked for in aspiring designers.

“It’s great to see the passion and ideas bursting from the next generation of talented designers,” he said.

“I had an absolute blast meeting the students and guiding the workshop."

Mr Wooster discussed with students how to build a successful brand in the digital world, an increasingly critical aspect of the fashion industry and an aspect with which Mr Wooster is quite adept.

Deputy Head, RMIT Vocational Education Fashion and Textiles, Tina Guglielmino, said having such an influential figure conducting a workshop with students gave them great insight into the global fashion industry and the increasingly important digital branding.

“Our fashion and textiles school is well positioned within the global fashion industry and we are benchmarked against the best institutes in the world.

“Nick was highly impressed with the level of creativity and passion our students displayed throughout the session.”

Mr Wooster uses the online photo-sharing tool Instagram to showcase his distinct style and increasingly jet-setting lifestyle.

The 55-year-old boasts over 330,000 Instagram followers, and his online popularity has led him to being featured recently in the New York Times fashion and lifestyle section and on the cover of men’s style magazine GQ.

Mr Wooster is an internationally sought after fashion brand ambassador and consultant, who previously held director positions at a number of New York’s high-end department stores, and is considered a menswear branding expert.

He previously held the Director of Retail Merchandising position at Calvin Klein, and was Design Director at Polo Ralph Lauren.

His career in the fashion industry has spanned over 30 years.

But despite no longer occupying a seat in a New York boardroom, and these days considering himself a “free agent”, Mr Wooster’s universal fame and influence has never been greater, largely due to his online popularity.