From an NRL Contract to Europe: Why Washuwear Chose Fashion Instead
Before building a platform documenting Sydney’s underground fashion culture, Washuwear was on track for a very different career.
At the time, he had been offered a three year NRL contract. From the outside, it looked like the natural next step, the culmination of years spent playing rugby league at a high level.
But the decision that followed surprised people around him.
“My heart just wasn’t in rugby league anymore,” he says. “I was playing well, but I was going through the motions.”
The money did not influence the decision either.
“I didn’t really care about the money. It wasn’t about that. Once something you love becomes a job, sometimes it takes away the love for it.”
Instead of committing to professional sport, he chose something far less predictable. He left and travelled through Europe with close friends, a trip that gave him space to think about what he actually wanted to pursue.
That decision quietly shifted the direction of his life.
Fashion Was Always There
Long before Washuwear started interviewing creatives or styling outfits online, fashion had already been part of his identity.
“I’ve always been into clothes,” he explains. “Ever since I was young I was always the one with the sneakers, always dressed fresh.”
Growing up around Brighton-Le-Sands in Sydney, putting outfits together became second nature.
His styling process started with one key piece.
“I’ve always started with the shoes,” he says. “The outfit would work around the shoes.”
What makes that detail interesting is that it was never driven by money or access to expensive brands.
“Even as a kid I always tried to dress fresh and that wasn’t because my parents had money.”
Over time that instinct for putting outfits together evolved into something more intentional.
What Is Washuwear? Sydney’s Emerging Fashion Platform
Today the Washuwear platform sits somewhere between fashion styling, cultural documentation and street interviews. His content often features conversations with designers, creatives and entrepreneurs about their personal style, their brands and their ambitions.
But the idea behind the platform was never just about fashion content.
It came from a frustration with the lack of a visible Sydney fashion scene.
“To be honest with you, we don’t really have a fashion scene in Sydney,”
In his view, the city has plenty of creative people but not enough structure or visibility around them.
“A lot of people just keep things to themselves,” he explains. “There hasn’t really been a strong scene built around it.”
That belief became the motivation behind the platform.
“That’s the reason why I’m here,” he says. “I’m trying to start one.”
Style Is Not About Money
One of the most consistent themes in Washuwear’s interviews and commentary is that style is not defined by brand names or price tags.
In his view, the most important factor is much simpler.
“Cleanliness,” he says. “If you’re clean, you’re going to look fresh.”
But the deeper principle goes beyond appearance. For him, style is about how someone builds an outfit, not how expensive the pieces are.
“You could be wearing a cheap outfit,” he explains. “But if you put it together properly, it can look better than someone wearing expensive brands.”
The difference comes down to understanding clothing as a form of expression.
“Money doesn’t buy you style,” he says. “Money buys you a brand logo.”
The real skill lies in how someone combines pieces to create a look that reflects who they are.
“That’s an art in itself.”
He also believes one of the biggest mistakes people make with fashion is trying to imitate others rather than expressing themselves.
“People try to be someone they’re not,” he says.
“Fashion is how you express yourself. You shouldn’t wear something just because someone else is wearing it.”
Clothing, in his view, is personal. The way someone dresses should reflect their own personality rather than chasing trends.
Sydney’s Fashion Future
Despite his criticism of the current landscape, Washuwear is optimistic about where Sydney fashion culture could go next.
From his perspective, the city is still early in its development.
“There’s only one way to go from here,” he says. “We can’t go backwards.”
He believes a new generation of creatives is beginning to push things forward.
“There’s a few people leading the charge now,” he says. “And I guarantee Sydney is going to be recognised globally.”
For him, that shift feels inevitable.
“Sydney isn’t going to be brushed to the side anymore.”
Building Something Bigger
While the Washuwear platform currently focuses on content and styling, the long term vision goes further.
The goal is to build a large personal brand and eventually use that platform to support his own clothing businesses.
“I’m trying to build a big personal brand,” he says. “Then direct that traffic into my clothing brands.”
In other words, the media platform is only the first step. If things go the way he plans, the audience will eventually follow him into larger fashion ventures.
For now, Washuwear is focused on growing the platform and expanding its reach.
“In a few years I want it to be in the millions,”
He says, referring to followers.
But the ambition goes beyond numbers. The bigger goal is freedom, building something that allows him to live life on his own terms.
“Just living life how it should be,” he says. “Freely.”
And if his vision plays out the way he believes it will, Sydney’s emerging fashion scene might grow alongside him.
Because in Washuwear’s eyes, the city doesn’t need to wait for a scene to appear.
Someone just has to start building it.
