MELBOURNE: Emerging designers will have a space to create, showcase and sell their garments when a new fashion gallery launches in Melbourne.
Called Oak Off Chapel, the gallery will provide individual studios, showroom facilities and a gallery cum boutique for up to 12 emerging labels. Oak Off Chapel's co-founder and Chapter 11 Apparel designer Dave Breenan said the creative space is designed to assist up-and-coming designers in overcoming the hurdles often associated with breaking into Australia's fashion industry.
“We've tried to create an environment where designers could tap into resources and collaborate or just have a prime office address and keep to themselves,” said Brennan.
Labels that will use the gallery space include I Heard They Eat Cigarettes, Sosume, Kosi Kosi, Kollate, Design by Jude, Small Time Crook, Chapter Eleven, St Lucia shoes and Tor Mathieson jewellery.
The garments created by the in-house designers, as well as additional stock from non-resident designers, will be available for purchase to the shopping public.
Brennan and his business partner Liam Magee will launch the Oak Off Chapel gallery on March 3.