Husk
THE LABELS include: Helmut Lang, Transit, James Perse, Matta, Akira, Lee Matthews, Ostwald Helgason, Rozae, Raquel Allegra, Zero + Maria Cornejo, Aminaka Wilmont, A.L.C, CLU, Emma Cook, Ilaria Nistri and L’agence. Accessories include Bouvier, Alexis Bittar, Me & Ro, Wendy Mink, Iosselliani, Erickson Beamon, Martine Sitbon, Abaco, 49 Square Miles and New Zealand brand Deadly Ponies. Husk also stocks footwear from Italian designer Roberto Del Carlo and boots by Spanish label Sanchez.
THE LOOK: Eclectic, earthy and exotic are the perfect fit for describing Husk. The Husk aesthetic of unearthed bohemia is evident in the visual presentation of its stores. Vintage wooden floorboards, rough lime-stoned walls and earthy adobe-style shelving made of salvaged sleepers are combined with Moroccan, Indian and Eastern rugs, artwork and design motifs. The melding of these elements creates a rich and exotic backdrop to a diverse offer of apparel, accessories and homewares sourced from around the world. Windows are updated regularly and designed to highlight the richness and depth of colours and textiles in store as much as the products themselves. Fitting rooms are richly draped, adding to the ambience of relaxed luxury and a café and courtyard create a relaxing respite for customers at the rear of both the Toorak and Albert Park stores.
WHAT WGSN SAYS: “A unanimous favourite among WGSNers, Husk is definitely one of the most outstanding retail stores in Melbourne. We not only like their design philosophy of handmade, artisan pieces but also that they care for their windows with such infinite love. In their own words – their window work is like art installations. And we at WGSN believe that shopping in Melbourne is all the better for it.”
Belinda
THE LABELS include: Proenza Schouler, Isabel Marant, Preen, Jerome Dreyfuss, Alexander Wang, Carven, Richard Nicoll, Prism and Pamela Love.
THE LOOK: The concept behind all Belinda’s stores is to create a unique shopping experience for customers and as such, the brand collections and interior are built around both the location and demographic of a particular space. The Melbourne GPO store is long, rectangular and huge, boasting high ceilings, dark, polished timber floorboards and large windows looking out onto the Melbourne cityscape. The space itself has provided Belinda with an exceptional canvas to work with from a design perspective and the interior is a balanced combination of kitsch decorations, including antler lamp and retro armchairs, and stylish artworks. Lighting is soft and clothes and accessories are displayed in glass cabinets, on mannequins, or on simple racks, shelves and hangers. All elements work to create a vibe that is quirky, relaxed and feminine in one.
WHAT WGSN SAYS: “WGSN are big fans of Belinda Seper’s and her mini-empire around Australia. Few fashion mavens have both the business smarts and the innate style sensibility to pull together the continent’s most consistently performing fashion boutiques but Seper does. People talk about having that ‘touch’ in fashion and Belinda has it – in loads. What we like is her ability to pull together big fashion names with some of Australia’s rising stars – really refreshing but also rather downplayed, like the two were made to belong side by side.”
Assin
THE LABELS include: Lanvin, Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche, Ann Demeulemeester, Damir Doma, Undercover by Jun Takahashi, Rick Owens + Drkshdw, Miharayasuhiro, Limi Feu, and Peachoo + Krejberg.
THE LOOK: Assin prides itself on showcasing progressive fashion labels from around the globe which are fresh, unique and cutting-edge and the set-up of its stores projects just that. Modern, minimal and sharp, Assin’s collections are displayed in a simple but clean-cut fashion in a large, bare, diffused basement with stark concrete/white walls and stainless steel/iron beams. According to Assin director Fernanda Kasjan, the minimal approach was chosen to ensure customer attention would be focused on the clothes and pieces in-store. Kasjan also believes that most people who like to dress well are inherently design conscious, so the space, design and ambience has been created to reflect a mix between a gallery space and a fashion store. Installations or photographic work, including that of Australian photographer Samuel Burns and artist Mary Schepisi – to feature in the Melbourne store in March – are also featured in-store at Assin occasionally.
WHAT WGSN SAYS: “It isn’t just the impeccable tastes of Assin’s buyers that attract us to this Melbourne must-see. Assin’s sleeker-than-thou fashion choices simply raise the bar on this city’s retail. What’s exciting is though they are a boutique, they buy like a house, choosing to express a designer’s full story in their selection. This gives it a difference in the market. And we haven’t even talked about its minimalist interiors. A true inspirational retail bright spot in Melbourne.”
Social Studio
THE LABELS include: The Social Studio. All garments are made by young people from new and emerging migrant communities using remnant and excess materials from the fashion industry. Product is transformed into original new designs that embrace sustainability and ethical production.
THE LOOK: The Social Studio, a creative space in Collingwood, Melbourne, showcases the design skills of young people from around the globe, creating employment and educational opportunities in partnership with RMIT School of Fashion. The open studio/shop/cafe fits with the purpose behind the establishment and presents as a warm, friendly and colourful retail space that changes daily based on the inspiration of their retail staff and designers. Signature fabrics from the collections, as well as jewellery and accessories, are often used to activate the shop window and store, and the interior is inspired by natural and recycled materials. The walls, floor and ceiling are made of compressed offcuts from timber, adding to the “workshop” feel. The layout is a hybrid of a sailing ship, a cubby house and a tent, and a large birch tree has been installed in the shop-front window, a stand-out feature of the store.
WHAT WGSN SAYS: “There are many social efforts in fashion, but none does it as well as the Social Studio… or as fashionably. We love the whole concept of a community club devoted to fashion, another great example that fashion is egalitarian, democratic and available to everyone. But just the convivial energy of the store, with its workroom setting as a feature speaks volumes about its purpose and drive. The authenticity of that is what draws us to the Social Studio.”
Lost & Found Market
THE LABELS include: Anything and everything. A huge array of “vintage” wear in labels from Chanel to Playboy, Doc Martens to Diana Ferrari, the Lost & Found market stocks an impossible range of fashion – as long as it’s second hand and at least 10 years old, and that’s a rule, according to founder Ross Hinze.
THE LOOK: Established five years ago to provide a simple space for second-hand dealers to showcase their range of collections, the Lost & Found market lives up to its name, stocking everything from clothing to footwear, furniture and artworks, to electrical appliances and homewares. Hinze describes it as “what happens when you put 40 crazy collectors in one room” and says the four-level building is a “mix of mad, organised chaos”. Wares are stacked, hung, draped, folded and pinned in any which way at each dealer’s stand. Walls at the entrance are whitewashed with designs, portraits and directions painted on and lighting is dim but sufficient, adding to the market feel.
WHAT WGSN SAYS: “Melbourne’s vintage markets – indoors. Such an inspirational spread of vintage ware that we’re addicted to it. Vintage itself is a treasure to find but having it all in one place is a true surprise. We like its themed rooms where you can embark on a vintage sewing project or pick out the right shoes for that ‘50s dress. With Melbourne’s domestic fashion industry’s past so vibrant, there’s things here that really don’t exist anywhere else.”
Nom*D
THE LABELS include: Nom*D, Bernhard Willhelm, Drk Shdw by Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, Zambesi, Company of Strangers, Biography, LD Tuttle, Serge Thoroval, Underground Sundae, Emma Jane Donald, and Linda Farrow.
THE LOOK: Nom*D's flagship Melbourne store, located in the fringe area of Collingwood, reflects the utilitarian, no-fuss feel of the Nom*D brand. The layout is designed to be changeable, with all racks moveable so the store can be re-merchandised regularly, keeping the feel fresh and user friendly. Hand-stencilled images of t-shirt prints are transformed into large canvas art pieces which adorn the walls and industrial components are visible. The overall feeling is one of deconstruction, but contrasted with features such as the lushness of red velvet curtains on fitting rooms.
WHAT WGSN SAYS: “Any voice from the alternative side of the fence always catches our attention – but Nom*D has transcended that. We love its Gertrude St store for its inventive windows, turning everyday items into visual feasts and better yet, intensifying that desire to walk in and buy something! But also that its retail space is an exercise in “KISS” – Keep It Simple, Stupid – that really works. Plain ideas like wallpaper-rimmed spaces and a circular pathway all work in its favour. Nom*D is a successful Kiwi design story but right here in Melbourne, its retail efforts have found plaudits of its own.