Westfield Melbourne has decided to tap into our evolving relationship with stores in a new way: it’s opened a ‘designer in residence’ space. And the very first designer has just moved in.
Ellery, run by Kym Ellery, is the first inhabitant of the InHabit space in Westfield Doncaster, a retail space designed to be part gallery, part concept store, all excitement.
The basic concept? A rotating store that combines pop-up timelines (at the moment, brands will only be in there for up to six weeks), gallery aesthetics and luxury fashion. Ellery herself is delighted to move in: “As a brand, we are always looking at interesting ways to showcase our collections to our Australian customers,” she said. “Melbourne is a very important market for us. InHabit marks the first time our Melbourne customers will be able to shop the brand in an Ellery specific retail space.”
It’s a great solution to an enduring problem: how brands can survive in a climate where the cost of maintaining an actual store is increasingly really, really difficult.
The whole pop-up store evolution came from the recession, which opened up a host of retail spaces to brands that couldn’t afford to rent them full-time. Instead, they moved in temporarily, kept costs low, attracted a swathe of new customers, and moved on.
The InHabit space isn’t going for a bohemian aesthetic, though. You won’t think you’ve just wandered into a temporary set-up; this is meant to look established and stylish. Think pale marble and dark wood, all enclosed in a chandelier-like golden circle. The architect, Matthew Herbert, said, “It’s all about creating a place that one can inhabit and personalise.”
And they’re aiming to showcase the best of luxury Australian design, pinpointing the particular designers who aren’t yet commanding their own bricks-and-mortar spaces. The next names in line are Dion Lee, Romance Was Born, We Are Handsome, and Strateas Carlucci, all of whom are award-winning prominent labels without their own flagship.
The big advantage of this kind of combination pop-up and gallery? It aims high for low cost. Using the same beautiful structure and customising it for each designer makes the turnover every six week an exciting event: it’s not just another store opening, it’s an exhibition on show. It’s also a good way to test if shoppers really love the brand, in case the designer wants to open a store there one day.
Temporary pop-up events are the new way to enliven big shopping centres. The Strand Arcade in Sydney has done several limited-time-only store openings, Glasshouse Sydney housed a UNIQLO pop-up this year while the brand prepped for opening their massive Australian flagship – and then, of course, there’s Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out, which specialises in taking over retail spaces for a shopping extravaganza.
This, however, is the first time that the space itself will probably attract artistic onlookers as much as fashionistas who file in to gawk at Ellery’s clothes. (And this collection, inspired by David Hockney, is well worth gawking at.)
Will you be giving Westfield Doncaster’s InHabit installation a visit every six weeks?
Images: Ellery and the InHabit space.
