Dudes have been getting unjustly pigeonholed with character-defining
labels since forever: Got a couple of piercings? You’re into hardcore heavy metal. Fancy a few
tattoos? You must be in a gang. Drive a ute? You’re a country bogan. Sure, there are a couple of people who fit these stock character
stereotypes but there are a bunch of multi-talented men who refuse to
follow convention and have more layers than a Commes des Garcon runway
show.
Bespoke brew purveyor James Squire is dedicated to breaking down these stereotypes with Rogue Tales, a series of short films that showcase some of Australia’s most roguishly charming men who defy pigeonholing. Take Cliff Overton for example. A former industrial designer, Cliff now tells his mates he’s a neo-industrial artist and tinkerer, specialising primarily in steampunk designs. Basically, he likes to play God with junk, taking old objects and making something new. When he’s not playing with gears and brass pipes, Cliff dons some overalls and saves lives fighting fires. #helloladies
We know Cliff isn’t the only dude out there with hidden talents. Taking
inspiration from James Squire’s Rogue Tales, Pedestrian went out onto
the streets in search of men who are more than just what meets the eye. On the hunt to uncover
Clark Kent types, we quickly realised we didn’t have to look far – turns
out men with roguish charm and a diverse – and unexpected – range of
talents are easy to come by. Take a look at the men we met in our own
backyard.
Meet Tom Sheer. We spotted the 25-year-old lad serving breakfast at one of our fave local haunts. Once he told us his vital stats – classically trained guitarist, avid surfer, fan of shorts – he let slip he’s a certified sommelier (fancy word for a guy who had to sit a test to prove he can talk wine) and last year opened up his own wine importing company. Specialising in a lot of American wines, he’s currently got a magnum of Hermann J. Wiemer Finger Lakes Riesling from New York state taking pride of place on his mantle, which he hopes to retire on in about 30 years. If he happens to stumble across a cool $20mil earlier though, Tom’d splurge on a super old bottle of Napa Cabernet and then probably build a cellar to hold said super old bottle of wine (plus a few dozen others).
Meet Tommy Prosser. We spotted this English, award-winning chef putting together delectable morsels at Single Origin Roasters. A Michelin Star trained chef, Tommy dreams of one day eating in all the world’s best restaurants, before opening up his own to trump all others. Not just a man who knows how to cook though, it turns out Tommy’s quite the fighter – of the sporting kind. Getting into kickboxing at 17, he then branched out into MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Upon moving to Sydney, his repertoire expanded once again after he met a lovely young lady who introduced him to the world of wrestling. They’re now quite the crime in-a-controlled-environment fighting couple.
Meet Jim Sewell. Another Brit ex-pat, we spotted the A&R Director at Mammoth Merchandise simply just walking down the street. After meeting his business partner at SXSW last year, Jim said goodbye to sunny England and followed the world of band tees down under. Getting his first job in the merch world the old English way – met a guy in a
pub, chatted about football, the art of tea and
BAM, job offer – Jim has since toured Europe with his favourite bands and sold Rammstein’s official dildos (turns out they were quite the seller). Alongside his knack for selling things, Jim’s rather skilled when it comes to a needle and thread and the guy’s knitting skills could probably put your nanna to shame.
Meet Gabe Robinson. A stylist and designer by trade – who recently teamed up with Croft Shoes to design some sweet chunky-soled kicks – Gabe is also quite the UFC fan, never missing a fight, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend. When he’s not (lovingly) putting her in a headlock, you can find Gabe out the back of his house tending to his other girlfriend, his motorbike. Nestled in amongst his mini-field of sunflowers, zucchinis, tomatoes, garlic and basically every other herb, you’ll find the two of them greased up and enjoying the sun for hours – Gabe and his motorbike that is.
